Local News Briefs Friday 7/19/13

The 1st degree reckless homicide and heroin trafficking charges a 34-year-old Milwaukee man is facing in connection with the heroin overdose death of a Fond du Lac woman were temporarily dismissed yesterday in Fond du Lac County Court. The charges were dismissed because paperwork hadn’t been filed within 30 days of the preliminary hearing for Roy Whitelow. Charges will be refiled today. Whitelow’s bond remains at $1 million cash. He’s also facing a battery to a law enforcement officer charge. He’s suspected of supplying the heroin that led to the February 12th death of 27-year-old Heather Fugate of Fond du Lac.

 

Fire At Sheboygan County Chemical Plant

 

Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say a fire was reported at Aldrich Chemical in the lab area of the plant in the Town of Wilson just before 2 p.m. Wednesday. An internal fire suppression system extinguished the fire, but three fire departments responded to the scene and the County’s hazardous material team. No injuries were reported.

 

Hartford Teen’s Death A Mystery

 

The cause of death for a 19-year-old Hartford man remains a mystery. The Washington County Medical Examiner’s Office says an autopsy was unable to determine the teen’s cause of death. Some test results from the autopsy on Jessie Blodgett are still pending. Her mother found her dead at home Monday. She was a sophomore at the U-W Milwaukee and was planning to return this fall. The Washington County Sheriff’s Department is assisting the Hartford Police Department in the investigation. 

 

Missing Toddler In NW Wisconsin Found Dead In Trunk Of Car

 

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-Authorities in northwest Wisconsin now say a missing two-year-old boy was found dead in the trunk of a car. Polk County Sheriff Pete Johnson says he would not come to any conclusions until an investigation is complete in the death of young Isaiah Thies. His family reported him missing Tuesday evening. They said he was last seen playing with his brother at their home in rural Centuria. Hundreds of volunteers joined rescuers in searching for Isaiah. Sheriff Johnson said a deputy had looked in-and-around the auto several times, and was told the vehicle was locked before the child disappeared. The vehicle’s owner came back around 10:15 Wednesday evening to drive it away – and the officer found Isaiah’s body in the trunk while searching the car. Authorities did not say if the car’s owner was arrested, or is even a person-of-interest in the incident.

 

Johnson Likes Student Loan Deal

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-US Senator Ron Johnson likes the student loan deal.  A bipartisan group of United States senators comes to a tentative agreement on a plan to keep interest rates on federal student loans from getting out of control. Republican Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin says the Republican proposal is more comprehensive and isn’t a one or two year fix.  When Congress failed to reach a deal on July 1, federal student loan rates doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. A key contention in the compromise was to keep interest rates low enough for students while reducing the cost to the government. Johnson says Democrats were making this a political issue. Under the compromise proposal, interest rates would be tied to market rates, but capped to prevent rates from going too high. All undergraduates would pay a certain rate — starting at 3.86 percent — and graduate students would pay higher rates — starting at 5.41 percent — with higher caps. Parents would pay 6.4 percent to borrow money. Johnson says he needs to see the final bill; however, he’d be “predisposed” to voting “yes” on the compromise based on a bill introduced earlier this year. Senate Republican leaders say a vote on the plan could come very soon. The White House has reportedly said they like the bill.

 

Hot Cars And Road Hazards

 

People and animals aren’t the only ones having difficulties with the heat and the humidity. State Trooper Scott Hlinak says vehicles out on the highways break down when too much stress is put on them and they aren’t equipped to handle the heat. He says they are seeing quite a few cars that are overheating. He says you also have to watch out for semi tires that tend to blow up in the heat, especially re-treads. He also urges drivers to watch out for highway workers. He says in addition to doing road construction they sometimes pick up road debris to make the roads safer. A Brown County highway worker suffered a head injury this week after being struck by a motorist. The worker was picking up a paint can on the highway.

 

Sequel Planned For Breaking Bread In The Holyland

 

Fond du Lac Convention and Visitors Bureau President Craig Molitor says a partnership with Travel Calumet County to promote churches and supper clubs in the Holyland is a success. He says the travel guide “Breaking Bread in the Holyland” is nearly sold out. The Fond du Lac County Board next month will act on approving financing the County’s share for printing up 2,500 more copies. Meanwhile Molitor says a sequel of sorts is planned for the travel guide. It will focus on some of the murals on barns. Molitor says attracting tourism to the area is about creating ideas and reasons for traveling the area and he says the County has some unique attributes that can be capitalized on.

 

Solutions Center New Logo And Open House For New Family Shelter

 

The Solutions Center in Fond du Lac has a few new things they are sharing information with the public about. Executive Director Lindee Kimball says they have a new logo, but the same great services for victims of domestic abuse and the homeless. Yesterday they also held an open house for the new Marchant Schmidt Family Shelter at 38 North Sophia Street. The Solutions Center has women’s and men’s shelters and a homeless shelter, but the family shelter allows them to keep families together who need help getting back on their feet. She says some generous companies and agencies made it possible. That includes the Michels Corporation, Fond du Lac Area Foundation and the City who helped in the purchase of the home and Marchant Schmidt who are sponsoring the house. She says they have had two families in it already.

 

Random Acts Of Kindness During Hot Weather

 

One Fond du Lac woman took the request to watch out for the elderly and neighbors during this hot weather to heart. Julie Wilson, the owner of Shut Up & Dance, was out doing errands Wednesday when she saw an elderly woman sitting on a bench near Walmart waiting for a bus. They exchanged pleasantries and Wilson went in did her shopping. When she came back out about 15 minutes later the woman was still sitting on the bench. She asked the woman, who was obviously impacted by the heat, if she needed a ride. She said the woman started crying, but accepted the ride. While taking the woman home they saw a second elderly woman carrying a load of groceries out walking and Wilson picked her up and gave her a ride too. She says her brother cautions her against such things. He says you never know they might be a murderer. She says everyone needs a little help sometimes. She says there are people out there who aren’t as lucky as others.

 

Today At The FDL County Fair

 

Today at the Fond du Lac County Fair there’s the Immel Insurance & Financial Services Holstein Futurity at the Cow Palace at 6:45 p.m. Hinder will perform on the Grandstand at 8 p.m. At the Leinie Lodge performers will be the Rabid Aardvarks and Ask Your Mother. Get more information on Fond du Lac County Fair activities at their website.

 

Holstein Futurity At FDL County Fair

 

Immel Insurance and Financial Services in Fond du Lac will be sponsoring the Holstein Futurity today at the Fond du Lac County Fair. The staff at the Immel Agency knows the hard work that goes with preparing cattle for the show ring. For the 9th year the show will consist of two age classes of Holsteins. The five-year-old show will begin at 6:45 p.m. in the Fairgrounds Cow Palace. The two-year-old class will follow. Other sponsors of the event include Fond du Lac County Agricultural Society, Fond du Lac County Holstein Association, Holiday Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep, Woods Flowers and Gifts, Frey Livestock Trucking, IBA Distributors, Badgerland Financial, Tari Costello and United Cooperative.

 

FDL School District Gets Federal Grant

 

The Fond du Lac School District is among 107 sites in the state getting federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. The grants support after school activities for students. The grant the Fond du Lac School District is receiving is for $50,000 for Parkside Elementary School. The grant is a continuing grant. Grants were awarded to community learning center proposals that will serve schools with 40 percent or more of students living in property.

 

Lambeau Field South End Zone Seats Officially Open

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-The new seats in the south end zone at Lambeau Field are now officially open. The Green Bay Packers held an open house Thursday for the fans who hold those tickets. Team President Mark Murphy says the seven-thousand-seat, $146 million expansion, includes some things not available in the rest of the stadium. He says there are a lot of different seating options and it’s the culmination of four years of work. He says it’s exciting to see it complete. Murphy says the extra seats meant about 3,800 people were able to come off the waiting list for season tickets. He says the average wait on the list is about 30 years. The team did not use any public money for the project.