Local News Briefs Wednesday 10/8/14

Winnebago County authorities have released the name of the man who was killed in a car fire early Monday morning in the Town of Winneconne. The body of 44-year-old Jeffrey M. MacDonald of Winneconne was found in the burning vehicle at the intersection of Leach Road and County Highway S. Anyone who might have information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s office at (920) 236-7300 or the County Coroner’s office at (920) 236-4804.

No One Hurt In Agromatic Fire

Firefighters put out a fire at Agromatic Inc. in Fond du Lac late Tuesday night. No one was injured and the cause of the fire at N6989 Rolling Meadows Drive has yet to be determined. The time of the fire call was 11:30 p.m. Agromatic provides high quality agricultural equipment.

FDL Gas Leak

Part of downtown Fond du Lac was closed off yesterday afternoon for a natural gas leak. A construction crew working at the Retlaw Theater hit a gas main a little after 2 p.m. No one was injured during the incident. Alliant Energy crews were called in to repair the leak. The incident was resolved in less than an hour’s time.

Walker Visits Van Dyne Farm Today

Governor Scott Walker will be visiting a farm in Van Dyne this afternoon. Walker will be stopping at the Ruedinger Farm on Cemetary Road at 2:45 this afternoon. It’s the same farm that hosted the Fond du Lac County Breakfast on the Farm this past June. 

Berlin Man Arraigned On Dodge County Chase Charges

The 19-year-old Berlin man accused of stealing four cars in three counties while narrowly eluding capture on two separate occasions was in a Dodge County courtroom for an arraignment hearing Monday. Maxwell Decker entered a “not guilty” plea to charges of felony Burglary with a Dangerous Weapon and Theft charges and misdemeanor car theft and bail jumping charges. Prosecutors say he stole a car in Berlin in August sparking a nearly 12-mile pursuit down Highway 175 into Dodge County that ended with the driver disappearing into nearby cornfields. Two more vehicles were stolen during subsequent chases. A fourth vehicle was taken after he broke into a Town of Trenton home and also stole a firearm and ammunition. He was eventually apprehended in Jefferson County. He remains jailed on a $100,000 cash bond and is back in court next month. 

EV-D68 Still A Concern

With Ebola dominating news Enterovirus D68 isn’t getting as much ink, but Fond du Lac County’s Public Health Officer says it’s still something we should be aware of. Kim Mueller says as of late last week there were 10 cases in Wisconsin, but none in Fond du Lac County. She says the symptoms are similar to the flu. She says the CDC is looking for groups of children that might be getting sick. Mueller says it mostly affects children and can have more of a serious impact on kids with underlying respiratory illnesses and conditions. She says they are trying to decrease the spread of the illness. She says hand sanitizer doesn’t work as well as soap and water. She says if your child is sick keep them home. For more EV-D68 click here. 

County Saves By Waiting For UW-FDL Energy Improvement Project

Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel says waiting for the UW-System to do an energy improvement project at the UW-Fond du Lac was better than having the County fund improvements itself. The County Board last month approved the $346,227 local share of the nearly $1.1 million project. Buechel says an engineering firm identified what improvements were needed. He says the age of the system and power it uses had a lot to do with the decision. He says it would have cost the County $600,000 alone to replace the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning system alone so waiting the local share of the project is a bargain for the County. He says a state trust fund loan will be taken out to pay for the project.

FDL City Council Preview

Public hearings will be held tonight during the Fond du Lac City Council meeting on the 2015 City Budget and 2015 Transit System Budget. The total City budget for 2015 will be $30.9 million an increase of 2.8 percent over 2014. The tax levy will increase by $1.3 million or 6.3 percent. The City tax rate $8.93 per thousand dollars of value is an increase of about 45 cents. Also during the meeting the Council will be asked to make an appointment to the Ethics Board and hold a closed session on economic development opportunities. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center. 

West Bend East And West High Schools Will Remain Separate

The West Bend School Board got a standing ovation this week when they voted unanimously to keep West and East High Schools separate under one roof. About 100 people attended the meeting Monday night. Thirteen people spoke to the board and all but one was in favor of the two-school system. Last Friday West Bend Schools Superintendent Ted Neitzke recommended maintaining the current system of two separate high schools. The majority of those attending Monday’s meeting shared the same sentiment.

Packers Support Efforts To End Abusive Relationships

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-A member of the Green Bay Packers hopes to encourage teens to talk to each other if they’re in an abusive relationship. Linebacker Clay Matthews was on-hand yesterday when Verizon Wireless gave End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin a $100,000 grant to start a statewide program in schools. Patti Seger is the group’s executive director. She says having an N-F-L star support them will get teens to pay attention. Matthews says Packers fans can help domestic abuse victims in another way. He says fans are asked to bring their old cell phones to the Packers game with Chicago. He says they will be refurbished and given out to domestic abuse survivors. Seger says her group is working with some teens across the state, who will come up with plans for the new program next year.

Walk To School Day

“International Walk to School Day” is today. Tressie Kamp, is the state Department of Transportation’s multi-modal program coordinator. She says there are plenty of reasons to use “people power” to get to class. She says the purpose of Walk to School Day really is to promote the multitude of health, safety and environmental benefits. The day encourages and celebrates walk and bike events of all sizes, everything from larger district wide events and smaller gatherings of students and parents walking to school together. Last year, more than 150 organized walking events were held across Wisconsin. Fond du Lac Schools have a number of activities planned for today. For more information click here.

MPTC Career Showcase This Afternoon

Moraine Park Technical College is hosting Career Showcase, an event for anyone interested in learning about programs and services offered at the College. The event will be held on this afternoon from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Moraine Park’s Fond du Lac and West Bend campuses. Attendees can stop in anytime. Instructors and staff will be on hand to answer questions about programs, classroom experiences and the employment outlook. Staff from advising, financial aid, the career center and student services will also be available to guide students and families through the admissions process. A $30 application fee waiver will be offered to attendees. Some restrictions apply.  For more information about the event or to register, visit morainepark.edu/showcase. Registration for the event is strongly encourage but not required.

Agnesian YMCA Pink Glove Dance Video Finishes Eighth

Agnesian HealthCare and the Fond du Lac Family YMCA were named the eighth place winner in the national Medline Pink Glove Dance video competition. Agnesian HealthCare and the Fond du Lac Family YMCA’s video featured 400 dancers, and of course, 800 pink gloves! Cancer survivors wore hot pink boxing gloves to symbolize the fight against this terrible disease. Five of the survivors featured in the video have partnered with Agnesian HealthCare to launch a public awareness campaign. As part of the Pink Glove Dance competition, participating groups were asked to raise $2,000 for cancer charity. The Agnesian Cancer Care team served a pork roast at Relay for Life celebrations in Ripon, Waupun and Fond du Lac, raising $1,901 for the local American Cancer Society. The Fond du Lac YMCA donated $250, the proceeds of a pink popcorn sale, to the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation’s Women’s Health Fund.