Local News Briefs Friday 9/27/13

Bond will remain the same for the 57-year-old Milwaukee man charged for his role in the heroin overdose death of a Fond du Lac man. The lawyer for Reginald Dorsey, Laurel Munger, was in Fond du Lac County Court for a bail and bond hearing yesterday.  Dorsey himself is currently hospitalized. Judge Dale English ruled that Dorsey could be released from the County jail for hospital stays and medical appointments, but other bond conditions remain in place including a $20,000 cash bond.  Dorsey is charged with 1st degree reckless homicide for the July 3rd 2012 death of 28-year-old Adam Ellman of Fond du Lac. According to the criminal complaint Forty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Abitz of Lomira allegedly drove Ellman down to Dorsey’s residence in Milwaukee the day before his death to buy percocet and heroin. Dorsey allegedly admitted to detectives he facilitated the heroin transaction by calling the heroin source he knew. A plea hearing is scheduled for November 12th. Abitz next hearing isn’t until December.

Oshkosh Man Found Guilty In Stabbing Death

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-A Sheboygan County jury of 6 men and 6 women deliberated for about an hour Thursday afternoon and found 23-year-old Michael Lemerande, of Oshkosh, guilty of 2nd degree reckless homicide in the stabbing death of 41 year old Nicholas Lehrke, of Sheboygan, last January.  Judge James Bolgert ordered a pre-sentence investigation and remanded Lemerande, who showed no emotion, to the county jail to await sentencing.  Lemerande is facing up to 27 years in prison. No sentencing date has yet been set. 

Moped Accident

An elderly Fond du Lac man was taken to St. Agnes Hospital yesterday afternoon after he crashed his moped while trying to avoid a collision with a vehicle. It happened near Division Street and Royal Avenue about 3:30 Thursday afternoon.

Waupun Woman Arraigned On Embezzlement Charges

The 34-year-old Waupun woman suspected of taking close to $50,000 from the Mayville business she was working at was arraigned in Dodge County Court this week. Teresa Ruch pled “not guilty” to seven felony theft counts. Charges stem from her employment at Mayville Vision between 2009 and 2012. Ruch allegedly failed to make about $32,000 in bank deposits over a four year period and another $15,000 in goods and services were given to family and friends. She left Mayville Vision in 2012 when she and her husband purchased Jan’s Optical in Waupun. According to the criminal complaint she and her husband are in debt and owe about $21,000 from a 2011 court judgment. 

Charges Dismissed Against Former FDL Sex Offender

Charges have been dismissed against a former Fond du Lac sex offender who was accused of failing to maintain his registration as a sex offender and of keeping the state updated on his information. Forty-three-year-old Richard Forsyth now lives in Beaver Dam. Fond du Lac County Judge Dale English yesterday granted prosecutor’s motions to dismiss the charges. Forsyth was convicted of 3rd degree sexual assault in 1995 and 2002. His victims were girls between the ages of 15 to 18 years of age that he knew. He was released from prison in June of 2011. Forsyth is no longer under probation, parole or extended supervision. However when he was released he was placed on GPS monitoring and will remain a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Couple Arrested For Smashing Out Ripon Hotel’s Windows

Ripon Police have referred criminal damage to property and bail jumping charges against two Fond du Lac residents for an incident that occurred at the Boarders Inn on Wednesday. Renters at the hotel heard the sound of breaking glass and called police. Officers found that lamps and other furniture had been used to smash out windows in a room. Edward Uttendorfer and Allison Weber fled out the windows. The two had stolen money from relatives in the Fond du Lac area and used it to buy drugs. They believed the relatives were at the hotel and along with police were looking for them so they broke the windows to escape. Felony theft, receiving stolen property and drug trafficking charges have been filed against Weber who is supposed to make an initial appearance in Fond du Lac County Court today.

Public Hearings On Deer Trustee Report In Three Area Locations

A couple sites in the area are among the 35 locations across the state where residents will be able to comment on proposed rules relating to the implementation of the DNR’s Deer Trustee Report. On Wednesday, October 23rd from 6 to 8 p.m. there will be a public hearing at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center. Also on that date there will be a public hearing from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Plymouth High School. On Wednesday, October 30th from 7 to 9 p.m. there will be a public hearing at Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh. The public hearings will be held from October 22nd through October 31st.  The official comment period will run from Oct. 14 to Nov. 8th.  You can also comment at the Department of Natural Resources website. 

Leo Frigo Bridge Inspection

National experts are coming on board to investigate the Leo Frigo Bridge in Green Bay. One of the support piers of the I-43 Bridge sank about two feet into the ground Wednesday morning and the D-O-T will have some outside help in figuring out how to fix it. Bill Dreher is the agency’s design chief for bridges.  He says about a half-dozen people from the Federal Highway Administration are in Green Bay to lend assistance in the forensic investigation. Dreher says they’ve been measuring the pier and nearby ones every six hours and so far there hasn’t been any more movement. D-O-T spokesman Kim Rudat says they should have a better estimate next week on how long it will take to investigate the bridge.

Latest FDL Fire Safety Canvass A Success

Fond du Lac Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says a fire safety canvass of the neighborhood following a fire on North Hickory Street last week was successful. He says typically they will place door hangers on places where people aren’t home and if they are can accomplish more such as doing an inspection or give out fire safety tips. He says firefighters from Fire Station #1 performed a canvass of 45 houses. He says they installed a couple detectors, did three home inspections and gave out 18 batteries for smoke detectors. He says it was a pretty positive result. Haase says people should change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors twice a year and a good time is during a change in Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 3rd.

United Way At 20 Percent Of Goal

Fond du Lac Area United Way Executive Director Tina Potter says they’ve reached 20 percent of their $740,000 fall fundraising goal. That breaks down to $146,215. She says they have delivered all their campaign envelopes and are seeing some good returns from industry and major firms.

Their pacesetters are Holiday Automotive and Fives Giddings & Lewis. She says G & L hosted a reception for their Leadership Circle this week or those who contribute $500 or more to the campaign. She says that included tours and a buffet. She says it was a nice evening and they got a historical overview of the company as well. She says it sounds like some wonderful things will be happening at the company. For more about the United Way visit their website.

MPTC Will Promote FACT Scholarship Program During Manufacturing Month

Moraine Park Technical College will be celebrating Manufacturing Month next month using it to promote their FACT scholarship program. FACT stands for Forming Alliances to Cultivate Talent and is an effort to create a pipeline to career pathways in manufacturing. MPTC President Sheila Ruhland says Manufacturing Month in October is a great time to promote the FACT effort. She there will be on-site visits to employers and MPTC. The FACT program was created in part to fill a skills gap in manufacturing. The FACT program is a 3-year program the college hopes to build on.

CMFDL And UW-FDL Team Up For Wisconsin Science Festival

The Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac together with local experts from UW-Fond du Lac will co-host an entire weekend to explore the marvels of science featuring hands on activities. The event starts at the Children’s Museum Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. for Science Connections at the newly opened museum. The festival continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UW-Fond du Lac for Lab Sci Saturday and Sunday the Children’s Museum from 1 to 4 p.m. its Shanty Science. The events are free on Friday and Saturday at the Museum and UW, respectively, while general admission rates of $6 per person apply on Sunday at the Museum. Hands on activities will feature fossils, minerals, glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, electromagnetic spectrum, matter, energy and more!