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Monday News 2/4/19

4 February 2019 News


Milwaukee Man Sentenced For Dodge County Injury Accident

A 33-year-old Milwaukee man has been sentenced to three years in prison and a year of extended supervision for a traffic accident near Lomira that injured three toddlers. Tory Agnew was recently sentenced in Dodge County court for the September 27th 2015 rollover accident on Interstate 41. Injured in the accident were six-months, one-year-old and three-year-old children. The three-year-old suffered a brain injury. A blood test proved Agnew had been smoking marijuana prior to the accident.

Regranite Correctional Employee’s Actions Being Reviewed

The state’s Department of Corrections is taking a closer look at a complaint by a former gang investigator with the department who says an employee at Redgranite Correctional Institution put the lives of prison informants in danger. According to an investigation conducted by WBAY-TV in Green Bay the employee made known the names of those inmates involved in informing on two high-profile cases out of Milwaukee involving a homicide and death threats to a former district assistant district attorney. Now the lives of the former gang investigator and those informants are at risk. Jason Wilke is that former gang investigator. He took early retirement and asked Channel 2 to investigate. The employee placed rat emojis next to the names of the five informants on a list of inmates and their cell numbers kept on an officer’s desk that was accessible to other inmates. The employee responsible for the emojis came forward and received a one-day suspension. Wilke feels that wasn’t enough and pushed for another investigation. With a new Corrections Secretary Kevin Carr that investigation is being reviewed.

Reporting Water Main Breaks

With the warmer temperatures comes the chance of more water main breaks for cities. The frost is actually pushed further into the ground, which can affect water pipes. Ripon Water and Wastewater Utility Manager Chris Liveris says they get water main breaks every winter. “We probably average between 10 and 15 a year. It creates a lot of problems and difficulties for staff and residents and they have interruptions of service while we do the repair.” He asks anyone who sees a water main break or pooling of water out on the pavement during winter to call the police department’s non-emergency number at (920) 748-2888.

Highway Good Samaritans Need To Be Careful

Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Bill Tadych says its natural for some people to want to help out stranded drivers during a snow storm or bitter cold temperatures, but it’s better just to call their dispatch center. He says the last thing they need on the highway is another vehicle that is pulled over and other drivers have maneuver around. He says it’s not legal to tow someone out of ditch unless you’re with a towing service. “You know you get people that want to help out, you can’t legally pull another vehicle out of the ditch with your own vehicle it has to be a tow truck that does it so we won’t advise people doing that.” He says if you want to help look for a driveway you can park in and check on the driver and ask them if you can make a call for them to 911.

Ripon Area United Way Needs Contributions

There’s still time to give to the Ripon Area United Way for the 2018-19 campaign but that time is running out. United Way Board of Directors President Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says people can give until the end of March, but then they have to start making allocations to the 21 agencies that they provide some funding to. “If it goes that long at the April meeting we will sit down and look at what we were able to collect, what promises we had and what commitments we had and if there is any shortfall what we are able to do about that.” He says they do have some reserves, but if they manage to only collect 67 percent of their $90,000 goal they don’t have enough to back fill that. If you would like to give to the Ripon Area United Way send donations to P.O.Box 71 in Ripon, online go to riponareaunitedway.org or their Facebook page, or drop them in the box at Horicon Bank.

Dodge County Has Another Walkaway

Once again the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a work release inmate who failed to return to the jail. Thirty-six-year-old Connie Smiley was serving a 160 day Huber sentence for contempt of court. She was last seen at a duplex on North Fairfield Avenue in Juneau Wednesday and her last known address was on Maple Ridge Road in Oconomowoc. She may be with a person who has a black “lifted” truck. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (920) 386-3726. The Sheriff’s Office had just gotten another walkaway back in custody Wednesday. Thirty-two-year-old Paul Digangi was arrested in Mayville.

Youth Apprenticeship Information Sessions

Envision Greater Fond du Lac is hosting two information sessions for Fond du Lac County businesses looking to learn more about the Youth Apprenticeship program. Youth Apprenticeship is part of a statewide initiative and an innovative way for local businesses to develop their talent pipeline or fill current open positions. Youth Apprenticeships are available to high school juniors and seniors. The first information session is Tuesday, February 12th at 5:30 pm and the second is Tuesday, March 5th at 7:30 am. Both will be at the Envision Greater Fond du Lac offices at 23 South Main Street in Fond du Lac. The sessions are free. Pre-registration is encouraged by calling (920) 921-9500.

County Executive Featured In Community Chat Series

Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel will provide an update on the state of the county and answer questions at the Fond du Lac Public Library’s new Community Chat series Thursday night at 6 pm. The program is free; no registration is required. Buechel’s topics will include the half percent county sales tax and progress of the new highway garage, among others. Buechel has been the County Executive since 1993 and served on the county board for 17 years before that.


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