Local News Briefs Thursday 9/18/14

A 42-year-old Campbellsport woman was found guilty of a 4th drunken driving offense during a Fond du Lac County jury trial this week. District Attorney Eric Toney says Kathryn R. Burgett was found guilty of the OWI charge, operating with a prohibited alcohol content and operating while suspended. She was sentenced to 2 years probation, 300 days of conditional jail time with work release privileges and another year of jail time was imposed and stayed without Huber privileges. In addition her driver’s license was revoked for three years and she will be required to have an ignition interlock device in her vehicle when she drives again. She will also have to pay $3,000 in fines and court costs and have an alcohol and other drug assessment. Charges stem from an incident last February 1st.

Sheboygan Reckless Homicide Trial Continues

The death of a 30-year-old Sheboygan woman from a heroin overdose was a slow one taking more than nine hours. Medical experts testified yesterday in Sheboygan County Court in the reckless homicide trial of 32-year-old Travis Tramte. One of them testified that by the time Kathryn Jakimczyk got to a hospital there was nothing anyone could do to save her. She died in July of last year. There is a possibility the trial could go to the jury for deliberation this afternoon.

Preparing For Voter Photo ID Requirement

Prepare to show your driver’s license or state of Wisconsin photo ID to vote this November 4th. With today’s legal challenges that could change by then, but Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says local election clerks are preparing for the general election to ask for photo ID. She says not all college student IDs will fulfill the requirement so the state’s Government Accountability Board is working with them to clear up the confusion. If you’re getting a driver’s license or state photo ID for the first time you will need to show your birth certificate something Freiberg says is becoming more and more of a requirement. She says the GAB is working with the state’s Department of Transportation to make that easier for people as well.

Debit And Credit Card Payment Now Option To Pay For Sheriff’s Reports

You can now use a debit or credit card to pay for copies of accidents or incident reports at the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s Secretary Donna Whitty says they teamed up with a company to allow the convenient option for residents. The company they are working with is called Point & Pay a debit/credit service. She says you can pay for reports and other services of the Sheriff’s Department now using a debit or credit card. She says that includes paying for using a deputy reserve for events, civil process fees and accident and incident reports. She says they can email reports at no cost, but not everyone has access to email.

UW Extension Worker Pens Children’s Book

A member of the Fond du Lac County UW-Extension team has written a children’s book that promotes 4-H. Noreen O’Brien says it was something that was inspired by the 100th Anniversary of 4-H this past year. O’Brien says it’s set in Fond du Lac County and is meant for 3rd and 4th graders. She says those who read it might even learn a little state history without realizing they are. She says she wrote the 80-page book, which includes 18 illustrations by Emily Bury a UW-Milwaukee college student. The book is available at the UW-Fond du Lac Extension offices and Extension offices around the state. The cost is $6 per copy with a dollar from each purchase being donated to the Wisconsin 4-H Foundation.

History At Home Series Highlights The Yellowstone Trail

The Fond du Lac Public Library’s History at Home series continues tonight with a program on the Yellowstone Trail. Community Information Coordinator Teri Fleming says a grant helped make the History at Home program a regular offering through the library. Fleming says the Yellowstone Trail was conceived in 1912 and went through the area. One of the nation’s first long-distance roadways went through Fond du Lac and North Fond du Lac. She says the talk will be given by the director of the Yellowstone Trail Association Mark Mowbray. There is no cost to attend or need to register for the 6 p.m. program, which will be held in the Library’s McLane Room.