Local News Monday 4/15/13

Eight Hurt In Washington County Accident

 

Eight people were injured when a pickup truck and SUV collided on Washington County Highway WW at St. Anthony Road in the Town of Addison Saturday afternoon. Sheriff’s officials say a 17-year-old Mayville man was driving the pickup on St. Anthony Road and came over the crest of a hill. He failed to stop at a stop sign and hit an SUV on County Highway WW. The Mayville man and his passengers, who were also teenagers from Mayville, were taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The 35-year-old West Bend man driving the SUV suffered minor injuries and was also taken to a local hospital. His passengers included a 32-year-old West Bend woman and a 54-year-old man and 51-year-old woman from the Town of Wayne. All three ended up at Froedtert Hospital. The 54-year-old man was in serious condition, the others suffered non-life threatening injuries. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident. 

 

Oshkosh Man Injured After Crashing Into Power Pole

 

A 25-year-old Oshkosh man was hurt after crashing into a utility pole early Sunday morning. The accident happened in the Town of Black Wolf around 2 a.m. The man was ejected from his vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The crash caused a power outage that affected about 1,200 people. The outage lasted several hours.

 

FDL Man Gets 10 Years In Prison For Sexually Assaulting Child

 

Fond du Lac County Judge Robert Wirtz sentenced a 21-year-old Fond du Lac man to 10 years in prison and 5 years of extended supervision on a 2nd degree sexual assault of child charge. Daniel Gandy was sentenced last Friday. Charges of repeated sexual assault of a same child and capturing an image of nudity were dismissed. Gandy has pled no contest in February to the sexual assault charge.

 

Eldorado Man Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Stemming From Gun Call

 

The 18-year-old Eldorado man who allegedly threatened Sheriff’s deputies with a gun at the end of last month has been bound over for trial. Andy Eubanks recently waived his preliminary hearing in Fond du Lac County Court. Charges stem from an incident in the Town of Eldorado on March 28th. Deputies responded to a report of a man with a gun. Eubanks allegedly yelled at deputies to get off his property when they arrived. Eubanks was later found hiding under a wagon. A gun was found in a building on the property, but it was unloaded. Eubanks was also arraigned on charges of disorderly conduct, obstructing an officer, possession of drug paraphernalia and failing to comply with an officer. He pled not guilty to the charges.

 

Stabbing Suspect Waives Preliminary Hearing

 

The 20-year-old Lomira man suspected of stabbing a 21-year-old Campbellsport man during a party at a Theresa home has been bound over for trial. Conrado Garza waived his preliminary hearing when he recently appeared in Dodge County Court. Garza allegedly stabbed the victim in the back while the man was trying to break up a fight at the drinking party in February. The victim ended up in the intensive care unit at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac with a collapsed lung. Garza will be back in court next month to be arraigned.

 Mercury Marine Planning More Additions

 

Mercury Marine is firming up plans for two more additions to its Fond du Lac plant. Fond du Lac Community Development Director Wayne Rollin says it’s significant because Mercury has already done three additions in the past year. City officials last month reviewed site plans for a 33,000 square foot addition for Plant 15 along Highway 41 and a 29,000 square foot addition to Plant 17 near Pioneer Road. Rollin says those are too good sized buildings. Rollin says Mercury has been a real success story since nearly leaving the City four years ago.

 

State Legislator Proposes Tuition Freezes For U-W System

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-UW students could be getting a break on tuition. If a proposal by state Representative Steve Nass becomes law. The Whitewater Republican is calling for a freeze on tuition. Nass the sky is the limit after July 1st and the Board of Regents isn’t afraid to raise tuition. He says the legislature needs to help the middle class and all students. Nass chairs the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities. Tuition increases have been capped at five-and-a-half percent for the last two years, but that cap does expire July first. Also supporting the freeze, Republican state Senator Glenn Grothman of West Bend. He’s a member of the Legislature’s budget committee.

 

Effort Continues To Consolidate Law Enforcement Records System In Dodge County

 

Dodge County Sheriff Pat Ninmann says she intends to see through an effort her predecessor began. Ninmann says in January 2012 Sheriff Todd Nehls began an effort to consolidate records for all the County’s law enforcement agencies by looking into new software. She says officers would be able to pull up information on people in their squad cars, which could be helpful if that person was involved in some type of complaint earlier in the day or has a criminal record. She says they would also be able to map out criminal activities in case a pattern is emerging. Ninmann says the new system will be beneficial to all law enforcement agencies in the County not just her department.

 

Cracking Down On Underage Drinking Parties

 

Drug Free Communities of Fond du Lac County is educating community members of the danger of underage drinking during Alcohol Awareness Month. Law enforcement agencies are partnering with them during a year long effort to crack down on underage drinking parties. That began this past weekend with “Party Patrols” as the high school prom and graduation season kicked off with the prom at Horace Mann High School in North Fond du Lac. North Fond du Lac Police Chief Darren Pautsch says social host ordinances adopted in a number of Fond du Lac County communities and the County itself will also crack down on underage drinking parties adults host or let happen on their property or in their homes. He says social hosting is a real problem and a culture they need to change. A local survey found 20 percent of kids attended an underage drinking party in the last year where an adult or parent was present and allowed the drinking to place.  Nine more area high schools will host proms over the next three weeks.

 

FDL County Court Commissioner Retiring, Applicants Being Sought

 

The Fond du Lac County Circuit Judges regretfully accepted the resignation Court Commissioner Nicholas Casper from his duties effective June 18th.  Judge Peter Grimm says Commissioner Casper has served with distinction and fulfilled his duties with the highest ethics and regard for the sensitive nature of health commitment proceedings.  The judges wish the best to Commissioner Casper for his well earned retirement from an exceptional legal career. The judges are also looking for applicants to be appointed as a Court Commissioner to conduct emergency hearings at the County Health Care Center or St. Agnes Hospital for individuals alleged to be mentally ill, drug or alcohol dependent,  or in need of guardianship and protective placement.  Other duties include conducting hearings on the financial status of debtors, and officiating weddings. Those who are interested should submit a letter to the Circuit Judges, c/o the Hon. Peter L. Grimm on or before May 6th.

 

Tree Canopy Benefits

 

The state’s Department of Natural Resources recently completed an analysis of street trees and canopy cover that shows public trees in Fond du Lac provide $1.76 million in annual benefits. The City is covered by 15 percent tree canopy, with the potential of an additional 53 percent of canopy cover. Among the significant values that community trees provide Fond du Lac residents;

$507,844 per year in summer cooling and winter heating energy savings.

$$496,340 per year in storm water management savings by intercepting more than 18.3 million gallons of storm water annually.

$607,879 per year increase in property values.

$82,042 per year in air quality improvements by mitigating harmful air pollutants.

$67,558 per year in atmospheric carbon dioxide reduction.

 

Food For Fines Begins

 

Through May 24th, the Fond du Lac Public Library will waive $1 in overdue fines for each donation of a nonperishable food item. Food for Fines is being offered to celebrate Library Week (April 14-20) and Money Smart Week (April 20-27), and to support the local Food for Freedom Drive. Donated food items should have expiration dates after June 1st. Donations cannot be used against library charges for lost or damaged items or for collection agency referrals. All food collected will be delivered on May 25th to the giant Food for Freedom collection at Fond du Lac High School. Local high school junior Danny Loomans is leading a community-wide attempt to break the Guinness World Record of 559,885 pounds of food collected in 24 hours. Food for Fines will be accepted at all three library locations the Main Library on Sheboygan Street, the Express Branch near Festival Foods, and Journeys at St Agnes Hospital.