News 05.24.17
24 May 2017 News
Funding is approved to improve a five mile stretch of State Highway 44 between Douglas Street in Ripon and the Fond du Lac/Winnebago County line. Governor Scott Walker designated $4.7 million to remove and replace the pavement and add passing lanes. The project will begin on May 30th and is expected to be finished in the fall of 2017. That portion of Highway 44 will be closed to through traffic during construction. Michels Corporation of Brownsville is the prime contractor
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A 17 year old Cambria boy faces charges after police say he shot and killed a dog while turkey hunting in Green Lake County. The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office says on Sunday, authorities found the remains of a 10-year-old yellow lab that had gone missing May 16 near a fence line along Yunker Road, The Sheriff’s Office is asking the Green Lake County District Attorney’s Office to file a felony charge of mistreatment of animals causing death.
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Fond du Lac County Economic Development director Steve Jenkins is stepping down. In an email, Jenkins says it was “with sadness that he is departing Fond du Lac County and the Economic
Development Corporation.” Jenkins says it has been a pleasure serving the county. Fond du Lac County executive Al Buechel says Jenkins came to Fond du lac from Topeka, Kansas in 2012. Jenkins’ departure comes as the Corporation and Association of Commerce move forward on plans to merge the organizations. Jenkins says with the merger, he trusts the successes will continue to grow and the economic impact with be as strong or stronger. Jenkins said the success of the FCEDC was made possible by great board leadership, a highly qualified staff and support of the organization’s investors and partners.
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A man who was convicted of killing a Manitowoc police officer when he was a teenager has had his request for a new sentence denied. Jason Halda will continue serving his sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Halda was 17 when prosecutors say he killed Officer Dale Tenhaken in 1998. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Halda asked for a new sentence or a new trial. His attorneys argued his sentence was unconstitutional because of his age at the time, and life without parole violated Halda’s 8th Amendment right against cruel and unusual punishment. Prosecutors argued the law allowed Halda to be tried as an adult and said his age was taken into account at.
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The Wisconsin company that distributed the nacho cheese dip linked to a fatal botulism outbreak in California says its working with federal, state and local health officials to determine what caused the contamination. Tests confirmed the botulism toxin was present in nacho-cheese dip sold at a gas station in the Sacramento suburb of Walnut Grove that killed one man and left at least nine other hospitalized. The cheese dip was distributed by Gehl Foods. The Germantown company says it retested samples from the lot of cheese linked to the outbreak and that it’s clear of contamination. It also sent samples to an independent lab which confirmed the findings. Health officials say the dispensing container and cheese dip were removed May 5, and that authorities believe the contamination posed no further risk to the public.
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Gov. Scott Walker is threatening to take the unprecedented step of vetoing the entire Wisconsin state budget if it raises property taxes on homeowners. Walker tweeted the threat on Monday, repeating a warning he first made via Twitter last week. No governor has ever vetoed the entire state budget since 1931. That is the year the budget was first passed as a single, large bill. Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance President Todd Berry says, “The only reason for a complete veto would be more for political optics or for related rhetorical or symbolic reasons.” Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says he was caught off guard by Walker’s threat, wondering why Walker wouldn’t “just call us” instead.
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