Local News Wednesday 5/22/13

FDL County Board Supports Interchange At CTH V And Hwy 151

 

The Fond du Lac County Board unanimously passed a resolution last night that supports the state Department of Transportation’s plan for construction of an interchange and north frontage road at Highway 151 and County Highway V.  Former Fond du Lac City Councilman Mark Weber told supervisors the Wildlife Acres subdivision would see even more development if the interchange goes in. The subdivision is located on the south side of the bypass. County Executive Al Buechel says getting to the other side of the bypass on the east or south is difficult and the interchange would improve access and development. Over the weekend State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald did an interview in which he said the Joint Finance Committee is looking at using some surplus state revenues to fund some one time projects including Department of Transportation projects. Buechel says they hope the interchange will be one of those priorities. It’s hoped the project would begin in 2015. 

 

FDL County Board Notes

 

Former Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Diane Cappozzo was recognized by the County Board last night for her 38 years with the County. She joined the health department in 1975 and became the Public Health Officer in 1980. During her time with the department the health department saw the implementation of a number of programs and services including the Save A Smile program for children’s dental health. Cappozzo thanked the Board for the recognition and their support. She also asked them to give her successor Kim Mueller the same consideration when she comes to them asking for support for public health programs. The Board also honored Mary Gellings for her 24 ½ years of service retiring as a member of Harbor Haven Health & Rehabilitation. 

 

Senator Gudex Funding For Highway 151 County Highway V Interchange Needed Sooner

 

State Senator Rick Gudex says he and State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt continue to pursue funding for construction of an interchange and north frontage road at Highway 151 and County Highway V. He says the bypass has shut off access to the east and south sides of Fond du Lac. Gudex says the project was slated for 2020, but he’d like to see it included now so the work on it could begin in 2015. He doesn’t believe the project will lose money to the Zoo interchange in Milwaukee. He says funding should be available especially in light of the excess revenue the state recently reported.

 

FDL City Council Preview

 

The Fond du Lac City Council tonight will appoint someone to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Councilman Jim Sabel for health reasons. The Council narrowed down the field of candidates from 14 to 2, and those two are Karyn Merkel and Lynn Farr. Five of the six council members are backing Merkel. Also during the meeting City Manager Joe Moore will give his 2014 initial budget summary forecast. There will also be recognition of military enlistees. The Council’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

 

Campbellsport Woman Pleads To Drunken Driving Injury Charge

 

A 28-year-old Campbellsport woman pled “no contest” to a felony charge of injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle during a Dodge County Court hearing this week. The charge against Megan McLellan stems from a two-vehicle accident on Highway 175 in Theresa on May 23rd of last year. She allegedly crossed over the centerline and hit a pickup truck driven by a 51-year-old Mayville man, Randy Gagliano. Flight for Life flew both of them to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. McLellan told investigators she had a couple of drinks at a bar in Rubicon after leaving work. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 26th.

 

Fondy Man Sentenced For Graffiti Incident In Beaver Dam

 

A 20-year-old Fond du Lac man has been sentenced to two years of probation for spraying painting cars and signs in Beaver Dam with words, phrases and symbols. Christopher Becker was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and pay about $220 in restitution when he was sentenced in Dodge County Court this week. The incidents occurred last December 17th. He and his 17-year-old brother Cory were involved. Cory was previously sentenced to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service. Restitution still has to be determined for him.

 

Fire Destroys Garage Damages Apartment Building In Oshkosh

 

Fire destroyed a garage and spread across an alley damaging the side of apartment building in Oshkosh yesterday afternoon. It happened in the 1700 block of Maricopa Drive at about 4:30 p.m. Fire Department officials say there was significant damage to a side of the Green Tee Village Apartments. No one was injured during the blaze, but the fire at least temporarily displaced two of the apartments’ tenants.

 

School Choice Forum In FDL

 

The Fond du Lac Area Retired Educators and Fond du Lac School District will be sponsoring a forum about the proposed expansion of the school choice voucher program. The forum is tonight at 7 p.m. at the Goodrich Little Theater on West 9th Street in Fond du Lac. Featured panelists will include Fond du Lac School Board President Elizabeth Hayes, former Racine Schools Superintendent and UW-Madison Professor Jim Shaw, Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Jim Sebert and North Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Aaron Sadoff. Earl Jewett of the Fond du Lac Retired Educators says Shaw will bring an interesting prospective to the forum having done research pertaining to education and students who come from poverty. He says Shaw is also familiar with the Racine School District, which has school choice. Former UW-Fond du Lac Dean Judy Goldsmith will be the moderator for the program.

 

FDL Police Hold Lakeside Park Community Forum

 

The Fond du Lac Police Department will be hosting a community forum at the Lakeside Park pavilion on tonight at 7 p.m. The meeting is part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life in the City through the district policing initiative. Police Captain Mat Mueller says they will be discussing concerns over vandalism, disorderly conduct and other quality of life violations in and around Lake Side Park. He says it’s a chance for residents to be heard on those types of concerns.

 

Campbellsport FD Has Own Dive Team

 

The Campbellsport Fire Department has something not too many volunteer fire departments can boast about; a dive team. Assistant Chief Brian Oestreich says both the Fond du Lac and Washington County Sheriff’s Departments have dive teams, but they are about 30 minutes or more away from responses to the Campbellsport area so they formed their own dive team about a year and a half ago. He says there divers took hundreds of hours of training to become rescue certified. He says with the number of lakes in the Campbellsport area they had to consider what was best for their patients.

 

Memorial Weekend Happenings In FDL

 

Fond du Lac Visitors Bureau President Craig Molitor says it’s going to be a event-filled weekend in the Fond du Lac area this Memorial Day Weekend. He says Saturday and Sunday there’s the Asian Memorial Festival that will be held at the Fond du Lac Soccer Complex. The event is free.There’s also the effort to collect a world record 561,000 plus pounds of food that will be going on at the Fond du Lac High Schools from 1 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. on Sunday. There’s also the 2nd Annual Salute the Troops Race at Lakeside Park this Sunday, which this year features a half-marathon. In addition there’s the annual Memorial Day Parade and ceremony at Veteran’s Park Monday morning.