Local News Briefs Wednesday 11/5/14

State Representative Joan Ballweg won reelection in the 41st State Assembly District. She defeated Democrat Joe Kallas getting 61 percent of the vote. Kallas opposed Congressman Tom Petri in the last two Congressional races.

In the 42nd State Assembly race incumbent Republican Keith Ripp defeated challenger George Ferriter. Ripp got about 59 percent of the vote.

In the 54th State Assembly race incumbent Gordon Hintz won a tight race receiving 51 percent of the vote to defeat Republican challenger Mark Elliot. 

Thiesfeldt Unopposed For Third Term In State Assembly

State Representative Jeremey Thiesfeldt will return to the State Assembly for a third term representing the 52nd State Assembly District. Thiesfeldt was unopposed in Tuesday’s election. He spent last night at the Holiday Inn in Fond du Lac with other Fond du Lac County Republicans waiting for results in the 6th Congressional District and Governor’s Race. He was talking to KFIZ News about improving the business climate in the state when Fox News called the Governor’s race in favor of Scott Walker. Nearly drowned out by the enthusiastic crowd Thiesfeldt said, “It feels much like 2010 here tonight.”

Schraa Wins Reelection

State Representative Michael Schraa won a second term representing the 53rd State Assembly District Tuesday. He was unopposed. Schraa says Republicans made gains both in the state and in national races. He says it was a good day for the GOP. He says he was confident Glenn Grothman would win the 6^th Congressional District Race and Governor Walker would win. He says there were also excellent numbers coming out of the U.S. Senate Race.

74 Percent Of FDL County Voters Cast Their Ballots

Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says there weren’t too many glitches during Tuesday’s election. She says it went smoothly and she was satisfied with how the day went. A total of 43,080 registered voters in Fond du Lac County cast their ballots during the election. She says that worked out to more than the 68 percent turnout she predicted, but she wasn’t surprised at the larger number of voters. Overall 74 percent of the County’s registered voters participated in the election.

Rosendale Man Who Killed Wife Released From Commitment

A 66-year-old Rosendale man convicted in the 1998 shooting death of wife has been released from a state mental health facility. Keith Vandeberg was released last Saturday from court-ordered commitment in the Madison community. Vandeberg was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia about three years before he shot his wife Terrie with a shotgun. He was found not guilty of her death by reason of mental disease or defect. He will continue to be supervised through a community treatment program. His request for release was granted by Fond du Lac County Judge Richard Nuss.

Sheboygan Standoff Ends Without Incident

Sheboygan Police arrested a 21-year-old man after an overnight standoff situation ended Tuesday morning. No one was hurt during the incident at a residence on South 10th Street. Police were called to the home Monday night after the man made some comments to family members. He had access to a handgun. During the 12-hour standoff tear gas, a robot, and assistance from the Milwaukee Police Department was used before the man was taken into custody. Classes at the nearby Farnsworth Middle School were cancelled Tuesday morning.

Oshkosh Death Investigation

Oshkosh Police and the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death of a 47-year-old woman whose body was found behind a garage on West New York Avenue last Saturday afternoon. The woman had been to downtown taverns and was highly intoxicated before her death. Police say she was new to the area and may have been trying to find her way home. Autopsy and toxicology results are pending. The death was an isolated incident.

Stalker Charged With Stalking

A 54-year-old Mayville man lived up to his name and is facing stalking charges in Dodge County Court. Bond was set $1,000 cash when Leroy Stalker made his initial appearance on the stalking charge this week. He allegedly violated a court order by repeatedly contacting an ex-girlfriend. She got a court order against him in August. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 13th.

Badger 5 Winner In NFDL Monday Night

There was a winning Badger 5 ticket sold for Monday night’s drawing in North Fond du Lac. It was sold at the PDQ Food Store. That winner will split a $53,000 prize with a winner in Greenfield. Monday night’s drawing was also the first time in the game’s 11 year history that consecutive numbers were drawn although not sequentially. The winning numbers Monday night were 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Each of the two winners will receive $26,500.

Kaemmerer Recommended For Oshkosh Pupil Services Director Position

The Oshkosh School District is getting a new Director of Pupil Services. District Superintendent Stan Mack is recommending Matthew Kaemmerer for the position. Kaemmerer has been a school psychologist in the district since August of 2007 and has worked in the pupil services department for the past eight years. The School Board will consider approving the promotion during their November 19th meeting.

Red Cross Provides Assistance After Two FDL County House Fires

The American Red Cross was pressed into service to help out three different families in Brandon and Fond du Lac following house fires over a three-day period. Barbara Behling says they helped families in a Fond du Lac duplex with shelter arrangements after an early morning fire Monday. She says in that case it involved staying with family, but they also helped with food and clothing. She says clothing is important with the winter months coming on. Behling says sometimes they have to help with medications when someone’s prescriptions are lost in a fire. Fortunately in both fires none of the family members was injured.

White Christmas This Weekend At FDL HS PAC

Students at the Fond du Lac High School will be performing the musical “White Christmas” at the High School Performing Arts Center this weekend. Chorus Director Cory Schneider says performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Saturday’s show is a dinner theater. The cost for the dinner theater is $28 otherwise tickets are $10. The students are also partnering with the Salvation Army on a “Fill the Sleigh” food drive and are asking those attending the performances to bring along a donation of a non-perishable food item. Tickets are available online at hometowntickets.com or you can purchase them at the High School PAC Lobby from 2 to 6 p.m. through Friday. Steve Wilson of the theater program says you can get them the night of the show if they are available, but he advises getting them ahead of time.