Local News Briefs Tuesday 10/22/13

The elderly Appleton man hurt in a two-vehicle accident in Calumet County Saturday afternoon remains in critical condition. Gerald Polakowski is at Theda Clark Regional Medical Center. The driver of the other vehicle 24-year-old Amber Volper of Menasha and her passenger 23-year-old Ryan Kaun of Neenah were also taken there, but were treated and released. The collision occurred on State Park Road at Highway 10.

Semi Overturns In FDL Roundabout

Fond du Lac Police say a semi overturned in the new roundabout at Morris Street and Pioneer Road yesterday afternoon. No one was injured in the incident, but the road was blocked while the semi was being up righted. Police say the load in the semi trailer shifted as the truck was entering the roundabout curve causing the semi to tip over. A citation was issued for failing to secure the load in the truck.

Reeseville Man Involved In Fatal Accident

A 47-year-old Reeseville man was injured and a 53-year-old Waunakee woman killed in a two-vehicle accident just south of Portage in Columbia County late Sunday morning. Authorities say Gene Kinke was driving a pick-up truck on Highway 51 when the woman pulled out in front of him with her Cadillac. She died at the scene and a 9-year-old passenger in her car was taken to the UW-Hospital in Madison. Krinke was treated at the scene. Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors in the accident.

Plymouth Man Sentenced For Heroin Trafficking

A Sheboygan County judge recently sentenced a 33-year-old Plymouth man to 10 years in prison and 5 years of extended supervision for trafficking heroin from Chicago to Sheboygan. Dwayne Candler was arrested last March. The car he was riding in was stopped in the city of Plymouth and officers found a packet containing 7 grams of heroin on the female driver.  She said she had taken him to Chicago where the drug was purchased.  Last month a Sheboygan County jury found Candler guilty of a heroin trafficking charge. He has previous convictions for heroin trafficking and cocaine and marijuana possession.

Teens Hurt In Sheboygan County Accident

Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say two teenagers were hurt in a single-car accident that happened Sunday night southwest of the Village of Cedar Grove. Eighteen-year-old Craig Fultz-Templeman of Belgium lost control of his car on County Highway KW around 10:30 p.m. The car went off the road and hit some trees before coming to rest in a wooded area. He and his 15-year-old passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to a hospital. Fultz-Templeman was cited for drunken driving causing injury to a minor.

Philly’s On 4^th Has $64,000 Badger 5 Winner

Philly’s on 4th in Fond du Lac had a $64,000 Badger 5 winner for Sunday night’s drawing. Monday morning Phil Moses said there was a lot of excitement at the store as they waited to find out who the winner was. The winner actually has to claim the prize at the lottery’s Madison or Milwaukee offices or by mail. Phil’s parents owned Ma & Pa’s on the Miracle Mile in Fond du Lac, which had a $208 million winner in 2006. Phil says Philly’s on 4th had a $200,000 scratch off winner in April and they hoping with the latest win that it may also bring luck to the store for Wednesday night’s big Powerball jackpot, which will be worth $216 million. There’s also Philly’s on the Miracle Mile or South Main Street in Fond du Lac.

FDL County Home Sales Up

Wisconsin home sales were very strong in September. That continued a strong sales pace that’s been the story most of this year, according to Wisconsin Realtors Association President and CEO Mike Theo. He says last month statewide sales were up nearly 16 percent. All regions of the state saw sales of existing home sales grow by double-digit margins in September, compared to September of last year. Median prices are also up. Home sales in Fond du Lac County were up by 32.8 percent in September, but the median price of a home was down 6.1 percent. Year-to-date figures for Fond du Lac County show an increase in home sales of 16.4 percent and the median price of a home is up by 8.2 percent. For more information click here. 

Property Tax Relief Will Come Quickly

State Senator Rick Gudex says property owners won’t have to wait long to get property tax relief from the bill Governor Walker signed into law Sunday. He says the average family will get $13 back in December for their property tax relief and $20 back the following December. He says it’s possible because the state is moving in the right direction. He says Democrats in the state legislature criticized the bill saying it doesn’t amount to much and was done for the wrong reasons. Gudex says they would have had more criticism if it would have been a tax increase. He says in addition to $100 million in property tax relief the bill added $153 million to the state’s rainy day fund.

Traffic Fatalities Down In FDL County

With a couple of months to go in the year Fond du Lac County has quite a few less fatal accidents compared to 2012. Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says so far this year the County has recorded five traffic deaths compared to 22 last year. The state has recorded about 80 fewer deaths. He says there are a number of factors that probably could be attributed to the decrease including several multiple fatality accidents last year, added enforcement and education, improved lighting on a portion of Highway 26 and fewer big construction projects. Olig says the state wants to know how the County was able to reduce the number of fatal accidents, but he says it’s nothing law enforcement is doing any different other than their jobs. The fewest traffic deaths Fond du Lac County has had in the previous five years was five in 2009.

FDL County Mulls Over Purchase Of New Election Equipment

Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says they are in the initial steps of looking into the purchase of new election equipment. She says it’s not something she will do in 2014 unless she really has to. She says with a gubernatorial election in 2014 they wanted to hold off on breaking in new equipment until the following year. She says plus there’s the cost to consider, which isn’t cheap. Freiberg says it will cost the County $350,000 to $400,000 for new election equipment. She says the election equipment was purchased at least 15 years ago and uses an old DOS or Disk Operating System, which is really old compared to today’s systems.

MPTC Goes Through Reaccreditation

It’s a busy week for Moraine Park Technical College’s Fond du Lac campus as they go through the accreditation process. It’s done through the Higher Learning Commission. MPTC President Sheila Ruhland says a team will closely scrutinize the way things are done at the school. She says it’s a three-person team that will spend 2 ½ days on campus. She says it is a big deal for the college and a process they undergo every seven years. She says she’s confident the school will be reaccredited by the agency out of Chicago.

Soup & Chili Sale Benefits United Way

Guaranty Title Services in Fond du Lac will be holding its 2nd Annual Chili & Chicken Noodle Soup Sale Wednesday to benefit the Fond du Lac Area United Way. The sale is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. United Way Executive Director Tina Potter says they make great soup and chili. She says she may even be delivering some soup for them. They will deliver orders that are called in by noon today. You can call 921-1300. It’s $5 for a 12 ounce bowl with a roll or $10 for a quart. She says Guaranty Title is near the hospital on East Division Street at 481 East Division.