Local News Briefs Friday 11/15/13

A truck driver from Lomira was charged Wednesday in connection with a deadly Chicago-area crash that killed an Illinois State Trooper.  Andrew Bokelman is accused of violating a number of commercial trucking regulations. The crash last March killed 28-year-old James Sauter in the line of duty when he was struck by a truck on Interstate-294. Bokelman was en route to Louisville, Kentucky loaded with 9,000 pounds of fossil fuel. He was seen drifting to the left and driver fatigue may have been a factor. Sauter had his vehicle idling on the shoulder of the interstate.  Authorities say the impact pushed the trooper’s vehicle at least 500-feet and caused it to burst in flames. Prosecutors said Bokelman tried and failed to rescue the trooper. Bokelman had obtained his CDL license six month before the accident. He had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the accident. The 25-year-old turned himself in to Illinois State Police yesterday Wednesday. A judge set bond at $125,000.

Armed Felon Shot At Children’s Hospital

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-A man wanted on a felony warrant was shot and wounded in a hallway at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa Thursday. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said the building was locked down just before noon.  The building remained locked down for about two hours. Officers had gone to the hospital’s seventh floor to arrest the 22-year-old man, who was wanted for illegal gun possession as a convicted felon. He was holding a baby at the time. Reporters questioned why police had to go after the man at the Children’s Hospital. Sheriff Clarke said cops didn’t know the guy was armed at the time. Clarke said the suspect then fled down the hall and showed a handgun while officers were in pursuit. Officers wounded the suspect, but Clarke would not say who shot first. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The sheriff said no hospital personnel, patients, visitors, or others were physically injured.

John Burke Inmate Charged For Battering Guards

Dodge County officials have charged a Waupun prison inmate with two felonies for sending two corrections officers to the hospital. According to the criminal complaint 31-year-old Gregory Atwood overslept and missed breakfast. When a guard told him he couldn’t eat before heading to the work farm words were exchanged and an ensuing scuffle while guards tried to subdue him led to a concussion for one officer and injuries for another. The incident at the John Burke Center happened in August. Atwood was convicted of an armed robbery in Waukesha County and has been serving time the past 13 years.  Current charges could add 20 years to his sentence. 

Lomira School District Will Hold Referendum In February

Lomira School District officials will be asking district voters on February 18th for permission to borrow $24 million for a major renovation and extensive remodel of the district’s K-12 facilities. District Administrator Bob Lloyd says the school board approved two resolutions Wednesday night setting the referendum in motion. He says a number of things would be accomplished through approval of the referendum. Among them portions of the K-12 building in Lomira would be torn down and replaced with new classrooms, new cafeteria and kitchen, new office areas and new gym. Plans also call for remodeling their weight room, upgrading science labs and HVAC systems, new district football and soccer fields, improving bathrooms at Theresa Elementary and more. He says they will roll out the plan at a meeting at the Lomira K-8 IMC at 6 p.m. next Wednesday. He says they have already held a couple of community forums and surveyed district voters on which of four options they would prefer to have placed before them in a referendum and this was the one. He says the tax impact would be $175 more for a home worth $100,000.

Thiesfeldt Child Credit Protection Bill Heading For Governor’s Desk

The bill State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac authored that would allow better protection of a child’s credit is on its way to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. Thiesfeldt says it will allow a parent or guardian to freeze a child’s credit making their “clean credit” less tempting for identity thieves. A Carnegie Mellon University CyLab study published in 2011 found that more than 10 percent of the minors in their sample population had someone using their Social Security number, which is 51 time higher than the rate for adults.

Winter Parking Ordinances In Effect

Winter parking ordinance begin in Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac and Ripon today. In Fond du Lac and North Fond du Lac the ordinances are odd/even parking from November 15th through March 15th. On even numbered days starting at 8 p.m. parking is only permitted on the side of the street with even-numbered addresses until 8 a.m. the next morning. It’s the opposite for odd-numbered days. North Fond du Lac Police Chief Darren Pautsch says in Fond du Lac the winter parking ordinance supersedes any parking restriction signs. The winter parking ordinance does not supersede parking restriction signs in the Village of North Fond du Lac. In Ripon no parking is allowed on any city street from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. and the ordinance is in effect until April 1st.

Habitat ReStore Will Help MPTC Students With Cost For Trip

Habitat for Humanity of Fond du Lac County’s ReStore in Fond du Lac will give a boost Saturday to help fund a study abroad in January for Moraine Park Technical College students. They are raising money for a trip to Jamaica that MPTC’s International Education program is putting on. Amy Patterson is MPTC’s International Education Coordinator. She says the students are excited about the opportunity. One of the students, Tiffany who is from Beaver Dam, is studying to be a medical assistant. She currently works as a certified nursing assistant at an assisted living center in Beaver Dam. She will be giving blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar screenings at clinics on the trip. Students will be doing a variety of service learning projects in health education and sustainable construction. Tomorrow at Habitat’s ReStore on South Brooke Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Habitat will be donating 10 percent of their sales towards the trip, plus there’s a bake sale and 50/50 raffle.

Boston Store Leaving Sheboygan

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-It goes back 100 years to the days when Prange’s was the anchor in downtown Sheboygan.  But it will all end in a couple of months.  The Boston Store, once Prange’s, will be closing.  Bon-Ton Stores Inc. announced they will vacate their location in the Harbor Center Business Improvement District following the end of their lease on January 31st.  The store’s approximate 80 employees will either be moved to other locations or receive severance benefits.  Mayor Mike Vandersteen said he is disappointed to see something leave after being there for decades. BID Manager Dave Hoffman said the news does offer new opportunities for the downtown area as a master plan is in the works to revitalize it.  One possible suggestion, based on a consulting firm helping with the plan, is to grow the district’s arts and culture base. Hoffman added they are not looking at filling the location with another department store.  The master plan will be released in mid-January.

Silica President Excited About Expansion

The president of Silica Appliance & Electronics in Fond du Lac says he’s excited about their expansion, which will add 10,000 square feet to their store and allow them to offer home furnishings, home décor and bedding products in addition to their existing appliances, electronics and grill selections. Tom Schneider says they are also changing their name to Silica for Your Home to better reflect what they will be able to offer customers in their store. He says they are also adding three employees who have vast experience, more than 90 years, in the furniture business. He says they fit in with the store’s culture of putting customer service first. He says they will complete their expansion to open the new division next Friday.