Local News Briefs Saturday 9/28/13

It took Fond du Lac firefighters a little time to discover the source of smoke in some upstairs apartments at the corner of South Main and 6th Street Thursday night. Smoke was entering an apartment that smelled like burnt food, but none of the apartment dwellers was cooking. Firefighters later discovered a towel had been on a stainless steel warmer at the Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant, which is part of the same building complex.

Mental Evaluation In Washington County Murder Case

A Washington County judge this week granted a motion for a second evaluation to see if a Colgate man is mentally competent to stand trial for the murder of his 77-year-old father. District Attorney Mark Bensen asked for the second opinion in the case of 38-year-old Beau Musial who is accused of cutting his father Jerome Musial’s throat last December. The two apparently got into an argument about a tractor-trailer that Beau Musial parked in the driveway of the home that they shared. The second doctor’s findings will be discussed during a hearing on October 23rd.

Fatal Accident Could Have Been Avoided

A member of ABATE of Wisconsin says a fatal accident involving 10 motorcyclists in Fond du Lac County last year might have been avoidable. Two motorcyclists from Michigan died from their injuries and seven others were hurt when 26-year-old Clinton Lovelace of Hilbert ran into them on Highway 151 in the Town of Taycheedah on May 31st of last year. It’s suspected he was high on Oxycodone. Tim Tomann of ABATE says Lovelace wouldn’t have been on the road that day if Calumet County authorities had locked him up for violating his bail conditions in a drug case.

ABATE is a motorcycle rights and safety federation. 

Ripon Street Work Borrowing Won’t Cost As Much As Anticipated

The Ripon Common Council this week approved borrowing money from the State Trust Fund loan program to complete the third and final phase of Ransom Street improvements. City Administrator Lori Rich says they were also thinking about borrowing money to do the final paving of Gateway Drive in Tax Incremental Finance District #4, but they had that $44,000 in the TID’s account. She says both projects came in under budget so they will only have to borrow $200,000 for the Ransom Street improvements. She says they were anticipating costs of about $220,000. The State Trust Fund loan is for 20 years at an interest rate of 4.25 percent.

Working Carbon Monoxide Detectors Important

The Fond du Lac Division Chief of Fire Prevention says with more fire places and furnaces being used for the first time this fall it’s a good idea to make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are working. Troy Haase says check your batteries. He says carbon monoxide detectors should be on every level of your home. Haase says carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless and it can make you sick or even lead to death. He points out there are a lot of different possible sources for carbon monoxide including your gas stove, hot water heater or furnace if you have any incomplete burning.

Bago Bobs Don’t Make The Cut

When it came to a cooking contest for the Association of Great Lakes Outdoors Writers fall conference in Fond du Lac this week there was something fishy. Each year organizers of the Coleman Cooking Challenge pick a secret ingredient to be included in the menu and this week given the proximity of Lake Winnebago it was sturgeon. Mike Schoonveld of Morocco, Indiana was one of the contestants. He admitted he’d never eaten sturgeon and the only recipes he could find were for sturgeon caught on the West Coast. He tried something he labeled sturgeon kabobs or “Bago Bobs.” Terry Frey and Wally Banfi of Madison won the challenge with a five course meal that included sturgeon, goose, wild turkey, sturgeon caviar and duck.

Taking The Plunge For United Way

Fond du Lac Area United Way Executive Director Tina Potter says sometimes you have to take one for the team. She says that’s why she agreed to participate in an effort to get 200 people to like their Facebook page. The payoff is that if they did she would one of those in a dunk tank at Fondue Fest earlier this month. Potter says she was a bit apprehensive at first, but others from Holiday Automotive, Badgerland Youth for Christ, and the Children’s Museum. She says one participant time in the dunk tank was cut short for safety sake when thunder and lightening moved into the area.