Local News Tuesday 6/11/13

Racer Killed At Road America

 

Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say a 61-year-old Chesteron, Indiana man was killed in a motorcycle race at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake Sunday afternoon. It happened just before 1:30 p.m. The man was driving a 1970 BSA motorcycle during the race. His name hasn’t been released yet.

 

Heroin Overdose Death Leads To Arrest

 

Calumet County Sheriff’s officials have arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with the heroin overdose death of Town of Harrison man last month. Authorities say 24-year-old Damon Coe was found dead in his home early last month. A suspect was arrested in the Town of Greenville following a five-week investigation. Reckless homicide charges have been referred to the District Attorney’s office.

 

Fire At Waupun Culver’s

 

Fire shut down the Culver’s Restaurant in Waupun Saturday night. Authorities say no one was injured, but the blaze damaged the attic and roof of the building. It’s unclear how long the restaurant will be closed. The restaurant was being remodeled. The cause of the fire is still being determined.

 

Former Sheboygan Mayor Fined And License Revoked For OWI

 

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-Former Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan reached a plea deal with Manitowoc County prosecutors recently regarding a drunken driving incident earlier this year.  According to court records, the deal had Ryan plead guilty to one charge of driving while drunk, and will result in the revocation of his license for eight months, use of an ignition interlock device for 12 months, and a fine of $801. Ryan was stopped by Kiel Police back just after midnight on March 3 when an officer noticed him taking a wide turn and crossing the center line.  Ryan admitted to having consumed several beers at area taverns.  Law enforcement found his blood alcohol level to be about three times the legal limit. He has a past history of alcohol abuse, which cost him his position of Sheboygan mayor when citizens recalled him last year.

 

Grant Would Help With Lakeside Park Channels Dredging Project

 

Fond du Lac Director of Public Works Jordan Skiff says it’s going to take a special effort to do the dredging in the Lakeside Park channels next winter. He says they will have to rent some equipment because their trucks were meant for that kind of work during the winter. He says the bridges in the park won’t be able to handle the weight of dump trucks and their loads so they will have to build some land bridges for that effort. Skiff says they are still tinkering with what they need to do and will later this month with the Advisory Park Board to update them. He says once complete the dredging will improve water quality, boater access, and there will be some improved fish habitat. Skiff says this week they will ask the City Council to approve applying for a Recreational Boating Facilities grant of $52,711 that would help with the project.

 

FDL School Board Approves Hiring Of New Principals

 

The Fond du Lac School Board approved the hiring of assistant principals for the High School and Sabish Middle School during yesterday afternoon’s meeting. Michelle Hagen was hired as a new assistant principal at the High School. She had been with the Milwaukee Public School District since 1990 and more recently was the principal at the K-8 Mitchell School. Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Jim Sebert says she should be a good fit with Fond du Lac facing more economic challenges and growing cultural diversity. Jill Brock was one of 62 applicants for the Sabish Middle School Assistant Principal job. Sebert says she came to Fond du Lac from Pulaski and has been a program support teacher in Fond du Lac. Hagen will make $83,188 a year and Brock $78,172 a year.

 

Fox Valley Legislators Asked To Sign Letter Opposing AirVenture Fee

 

State Senator Rick Gudex of Fond du Lac is urging state senators and state representatives from the Fox Valley area to sign onto a letter asking the Federal Aviation Administration and members of Congress to resolve the issuance of a $500,000 bill to supply air traffic controllers for this year’s AirVenture in Oshkosh. Gudex says the annual AirVenture Convention brings in over $110 million to the state from visitors that come from all over the world. He says finding out weeks before the event that the convention is being asked to pitch in $500,000 is unacceptable. He’s asking the FAA and Congressional leadership to intervene. Other state legislators that have signed onto the letter include; Senator Ellis, and State Representatives Ballweg, Hintz, Kaufert, Murphy, Schraa and Thiesfeldt.

 

FDL School Board Approves Increase In Lunch Fees

 

New lunch fees were approved by the Fond du Lac School Board yesterday. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says it’s something they have to do every year to keep federal funding for the lunch program and they have a way to go yet before they meet the federal standard of $2.59 per meal.

The District’s average cost for lunch is $2.30.

 

SAGES Wraps Up Successful First Year

 

Waupun’s SAGES or School for Agricultural and Environmental Studies is wrapping up a successful first year. Waupun Schools Superintendent Tonya Gubin says the K-6 Charter School in Fox Lake is something the kids really enjoy. She says the students also make very good use of the Lake having walked across when it’s frozen, canoed on it and more. Gubin says in the next school year they want to develop an orchard. One of the more unusual sites at the school is a live cow in the middle of the hallway. Gubin says the Junior/Senior High School is developing different academies including a STEAM Academy with Agricultural, Engineering and Environmental Studies students from SAGES will be able to make a perfect transition.

 

Congress Ryan Calls Phone Spying “Kind Of Creepy”

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-The source of the leaked top secret documents about the NSA’s controversial spying program on phone calls and e-mails turns out to be former CIA technical assistant Edward Snowden, who’s in Hong Kong, believing he will never be allowed to return to the U-S. Revelations keep coming, about the National Security Agency’s controversial phone spying program. Congressman Paul Ryan says the whole thing is “kind of creepy.” He says to do a blanket dragnet nationwide goes way beyond the scope of the Patriot Act.

 

FDL Fire Dept Receives Smoke Detector Grant

 

The Fond du Lac Fire Department recently received a grant that provides smoke detectors to the Fire Department, which BRK First Alert donated. The program is designed to conduct home fire safety visits by front line fire fighters. These visits go beyond the simple smoke alarm installation and get the firefighters involved in performing focused fire safety education programs.  It is an excellent way to get front-line firefighters involved in working directly in the community. The focus is on high-risk homes, the very places where a large percentage of fires, deaths and injuries occur.

 

Dairy Grants

 

The state’s Agriculture Secretary Ben Brancel recently announced the awarding of 44 Grow Wisconsin Dairy 30 x 20 grants including a couple in the area. Among the farms receiving the grants are Vision Aire Farms in Eldorado and the Vossekuil Mile Holsteins in Brandon. A total of just under $200,000 is being distributed. Brancel says, “The Grow Wisconsin Dairy 30×20 grants allow these farmers to take steps to improve farm profitability, plan for future investments and make the transfer to the next generation.”

 

Giese Wins Flat Screen From Ray’s

 

Congratulations to Wendy Giese! She went fishing for a flat screen at Walleye Weekend and won a Toshiba, 50 inch 1080p LED HDTV from Rays TV and Appliance. Thanks as well to Hoppers Silk Screening and All-Star Trophy for making it happen!