Local News Thursday 5/2/13

Janesville Man Found Guilty In FDL Armed Robbery

 

A Fond du Lac County jury this week found a 26-year-old Janesville man guilty of participating in an armed robbery at the Briarcrest Apartments parking lot in November of 2011. Ian Koch was involved in the robbery of a man at gunpoint. Thirty-two-year-old Luis Rivera of Fond du Lac was sentenced to 5 years in prison for his involvement in that crime. The two were also involved in robbing the PLS Loan Store on North Rolling Meadows Drive a couple of days before that. Rivera got 10 years in prison for that.  A presentence investigation has been ordered for Koch.

 

Colgate Man Sentenced For Attacking Woman In Theresa

 

The 50-year-old Washington County man who violently attacked his former girlfriend last September at her home in Theresa has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. Charles Maier of Colgate was sentenced this week in Dodge County to the jail term, 2 years of probation and has to pay over $1,900 in restitution. If he fails to live up to court-ordered conditions he could end up serving an additional 6 months in jail. The victim was struck nearly 20 times during the attack. Maier also stole her cell phone and purse during the incident.

 

Peshtigo Man Suspected In Girlfriend’s Death

 

Marinette County authorities are charging a long-time boyfriend of a Peshtigo woman with her stabbing death. Forty-eight-year-old Brent Kaempf is expected to make an initial court appearance on a 1st degree intentional homicide charge today. He’s suspected of killing 45-year-old Patricia Waschbisch late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. He was found by a Wauwatosa police officer sleeping in a car Monday morning. The couple allegedly got into an argument at a friend’s home Saturday night then left together. Waschbisch’s body was discovered at her home by her daughter Sunday.

 

Authorities Remove Hundreds Of Explosives From Germantown Home

 

Authorities removed hundreds of explosives from a home in Germantown yesterday. Police say they don’t believe the explosives were going to be used to harm anyone. Meanwhile Police says they are familiar with the 33-year-old man they took into custody. He has a long history of law enforcement contacts. Charges against him date back to 1999 and have included disorderly conduct, battery, criminal damage to property and more. The man reportedly suffers from mental illness. Police got a tip Tuesday afternoon, which led to the man’s arrest and police set up a perimeter around the home while explosives were being removed from it. He could be charged today in Washington County Court with possession of explosive devices.

 

Porch Fire

 

Fond du Lac Firefighters responded to a call about a porch fire Tuesday afternoon. Officials say a man tossed a cigarette butt in a coffee can on the second floor porch of a home at 118 East Merrill Avenue. The can was rotted through and a fire started on the wooden porch beneath the can. The man doused the fire with a 5-gallon pail of water and most of the fire was out by the time firefighters arrived. There was significant damage to the wooden porch.

 

FDL Woman Was Scared To Come Forward About Accident

 

The 21-year-old Fond du Lac woman who drove her car into a retention pond at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds last weekend told police she was “scared” and that’s why she didn’t report the accident right away. According to the accident report she met with police at the police department at 10 a.m. Sunday morning to tell them what happened in the accident about 6 hours before that. The woman told police she didn’t remember anything prior to the accident. The 1995 Ford Taurus she was driving was totaled in the accident. She was cited for failing to stop at a stop sign and failing to notify police of an accident.

 

Waupun Common Council Makes Pool Choice

 

(WBEV-Beaver Dam)-Plans for a new aquatic center at the Fond du Lac County Park in Waupun took another step forward this week. City Administrator Kyle Clark says Burbach Aquatics provided them with a number of options and the Common Council Tuesday night voted for them to move forward on a pool that will be roughly 9,900-square feet and cost between $4.1-million and $4.4-million. The target date for completion is June 1st of 2014. The project will be paid for in a couple of ways. Fond du Lac County has committed $1-million, while the tax impact would be a 43-cent per 1,000 of assessed value increase. Funds from the TIF District would cover the rest of the money.

 

Controlled Burns Should Be Called In First

 

With fire danger in the area high a Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s official is cautioning residents about outdoors burning. Captain Rick Olig says last weekend a fire got away from a St. Cloud resident who was burning in a burning barrel and it spread to a nearby shed. He says any burning needs to be carefully monitored. He recommends knowing how windy it’s going to get and keeping a supply of water on hand just in case. He says if you are going to do any type of controlled burning you should call the County Communications Center before and after you do a burn. Olig says that will cut down on deputies and fire departments being sent out needlessly. The County Communications Center can be called at 920-929-3390.

 

Food Stamp Bills Making Their Way Through The Legislature

 

A pair of bills is moving through the state legislature that would change how “food stamps” are used in the state. One bill passed by the State Assembly affects trafficking of EBT or FoodShare cards. State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says it would for instance cut down of instance where participants sell the cards to non-participants for money. He says people have gotten creative in the ways they’ve found to abuse the system. The Assembly passed that bill by about 70 votes. Another bill just passed out of an Assembly committee would require that those on the FoodShare program use two-thirds of their benefits to purchased so-called health foods.

 

DNR Seeks Tips On Decapitated Bear In Northwestern Wisconsin

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Officials with the Department of Natural Resources are asking for help finding out who beheaded a bear in northwestern Wisconsin. The remains of the black bear were found in January, after its headless body was dumped in a ditch in Somerset Township. DNR conservation warden Paul Sickman says they believe the 250 to 300 pound animal was shot while hibernating a few miles away, and was then moved and decapitated. Sickman says they have checked with local taxidermists, but have had few leads so far. A local game organization is now offering a $500 reward for a tip that helps convicts those responsible.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the DNR Hotline at 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367).

 

Tech Sampling Program At MPTC Saturday

 

A Leadership Fond du Lac team will host the first annual Fond du Lac Tech Sampling event this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Moraine Park Technical College. The “Technology for the Mature Palate” is designed specifically for baby boomers that may not be as tech savvy. Sara Hathaway is a member of the Leadership Fond du Lac Program Team 100 Watt members. She members of the MPTC IT Club will also be on hand to answer questions. Sadoff and Rudoy will also have an e-cycle receptacle there for the collection of mobile devices, cell phones, laptops, etc. There’s no cost to attend. You can register at the door to be entered into a drawing for an iPad Mini or 4 Brewer Tickets. More information about the Tech Sampling event is available online.

 

FDL Carpenter Competes In National Craft Championships

 

A 30-year-old Fond du Lac man is in Birmingham, Alabama this week competing with 143 others in the National Craft Championships to see if he will bring home a gold medal. Phillip Heffner won the carpentry division of the ABC of Wisconsin Construction Skills Competition in January to advance to the National Championships. In a video for the competition he explained that his interest in building began when he was 10-years-old. He says they had no idea going into the competition what his building project would be. Pat Donovan is the vice president of field operations for Northcentral Construction where Heffner works. He says the competitions Heffner has competed in showcase the talents of those in the building trades. The first day of the competition involved a 2 ½ hour written exam and the second today involves a six-hour hands-on performance test. To see the video click here.

 Chicago Returns To EAA

 

Legendary rock group Chicago returns to the EAA AirVenture this summer. The group will take the stage for the popular opening-night concert on Monday, July 29th. The concert is presented by Ford Motor Company and is free to all AirVenture attendees that day. The group performed an opening-night concert at AirVenture in 2010. Chicago is known for hits like “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” “If You Leave Me Now,” and “Hard To Say I’m Sorry.” They’ve accumulated 47 gold and platinum awards for record sales.