Local News Briefs Thursday 7/24/14

The Fond du Lac Fire Department responded to a call about a possible ammonia leak at Laack Cold Storage overnight. The call at 356 Dixie Street came in at 11:45 p.m. When crews arrived they found low readings in the area around the building. The department’s hazmat team was activated. They found low readings in the building, but got higher readings on the roof. The refrigeration system was shutdown so management personnel could evaluate and repair it. No one was injured and no evacuation was necessary. The police department assisted with scene security, and traffic control.

Fire At Mercury Marine

Officials at Mercury Marine’s Plant 15 had a fire out before Fond du Lac Firefighters arrived at the scene Wednesday morning. Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says they got the call just before 10 a.m. He says a piece of product got caught in a paint line and started a fire, which Mercury employees were able to extinguish. He says Mercury Marine employees are always well prepared. He says no one was injured during the blaze.

Driver Dies From Medical Condition Not Accident

Winnebago County Sheriff’s officials say the 72-year-old Grand Chute man involved in an accident on Highway 41 southbound near Menasha Tuesday morning was dead when he arrived at Theda Clark Regional Medical Center. They say the death of Donald Leidhauser was due to a medical condition and not due to the accident. He was traveling on Highway 41 when he stopped in the middle lane and his car began traveling in reverse hitting a truck that was hauling grain. An ambulance took him to Theda. The driver of the truck, a 41-year-old Chilton man, wasn’t injured.

Fire Damages Washington County Home

No one was home when a fire broke out in a home on Moraine Drive in the Village of Richfield Wednesday afternoon. Washington County Sheriff’s officials say five fire departments battled the blaze that caused about $150,000 in damage to the home and its contents. A family pet perished in the fire. No firefighters were injured. The cause of the fire at 3307 Moraine Drive is still being determined.

Sheboygan Gator Finds A Home

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-The alligator found near the Sheboygan River last Sunday has found a new home. DNR Conservation Warden Mike Clutter said the four foot long reptile will be living at the Chicago Herpetological Society.  Since getting the animal from Sheboygan law enforcement, Clutter said he has been busy contacting several zoos and animal rescue groups to find a proper home.  He eventually got a lead with the group Small Scale Reptile Rescue in Milwaukee, which assisted in transporting the alligator to Chicago Tuesday evening. A search is still ongoing for whoever left the animal along the river, and that person would face a fine of $539.50.

Petri Attends Bill Signing

Congressman Tom Petri this week attended a bill signing ceremony at the White House for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.  President Barack Obama signed the bipartisan bill into law. The bill provides a long-awaited update to the Workforce Investment Act, which became law in 1998 and had not been updated since.  Congressman Tom Petri says “The bill will greatly help our nation’s workers, job-seekers, and local economies by updating a long-outdated law.  The new law gives local communities more flexibility to use federal funding—which especially helps Wisconsin where we already have our own strong workforce development programs—and increases participation in the workforce for young people with disabilities.” He says it will help employers find the skilled workers that they need.  He also praised his colleagues for their bipartisan work on the legislation.

State Fair A Week Away

Employees at KFIZ got treated to cream puffs by representatives of the State Fair this week signaling that the Fair isn’t that far away. In fact it starts at State Fair Park in West Allis on Thursday, July 31st and runs through Sunday, August 10th. Jen Puente is a sponsorship manager at the Fair. She says many people look forward to the cream puffs, which got started 90 years ago as something the Wisconsin Baker’s Association felt would best represent Wisconsin Dairy and Agriculture at the Fair. Last year they sold over 375,000 cream puffs in 11 days. She says opening day of the Fair people can get a break on the price of admission with donations to a food drive. You can get in for $2 if you bring in two canned food goods that will go to the Hunger Task Force. She says they got both big acts and small ones performing music including the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.Also making their return after 18 years Alabama will close out the Fair with a performance on Sunday, August 10th.

Arduino Kits Available At FDL Public Library

The Fond du Lac Public Library now has eight Arduino kits for checkout. The Arduino is an open-source mini computer that can function as the brains in everything from robots and flying drones to Christmas light shows, beer brewing equipment and indoor gardening.  The self-contained kits come in special compartmentalized totes and can be checked out by anyone with a valid library account for 21 days. Library customers aged 16 and under can check out the kits with a parent or guardian’s signature. The kits have a $1 a day overdue fee, and patrons will be charged for missing pieces or parts. Each kit contains a product guide with useful instructions and ideas. On October 14, 21 and 28, the library will be offering a three-part “Intro to the Arduino” course taught by local robotics expert John Papenheim. Information on the class is available on the library’s Calendar at www.fdlpl.org.  Registration for the Arduino class opens on October