News 05.05.16
5 May 2016 News
The Fond du lac County Public Health Officer admits she is surprised that investigators have still not been able to find the source of a bloodstream infection that has sickened dozens of people and been linked to a number of deaths in southeast Wisconsin. Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says she is also concerned about the conflicting information that has been released. Mueller says there has to be a common thread between the victims that investigators have not been able to link yet. Last week Assembly Democrats sent a letter to Governor Walker wanting to know why state health officials delayed telling people that the blood infection was spreading in Wisconsin. DHS told hospitals to be on the lookout for infections in January but didn’t announce it to the public until March. One of the confirmed cases is from Fond du lac County.
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A Markesan sex offender convicted on charges of working with children and making bomb threats to area businesses is now living at a residence in rural Markesan. Green Lake County Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Putzke says last August, 34-year-old Aaron Schreiber was sentenced to prison time for his crimes, but has now moved into a residence at N2004 Old Highway A. Putzke says area authorities are aware of Schreiber’s history and a community notification meeting was held this week in regards to Schreiber’s release. He will be kept on electronic monitoring.
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Fond du Lac County is getting recognition for their tourism efforts. State Tourism Secretary Stephanie Klett noted how the county had the largest increase in the state for tourism spending and business sales. Klett says the Convention and Visitors Bureau has done a great job promoting events, highlighting area hot spots like parks and restaurants, and using grant money in the best way possible. According to figures from the State Department of Tourism, Fond du Lac County saw a 10 percent increase in tourism spending from $120 million in 2014 to $132 million last year and a nearly eight percent increase in total business sales.
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Wisconsin health officials are defending their investigation of a blood infection discovered in the state. The Division of Public Health responded Tuesday to Assembly Democrats who questioned last week why state health officials delayed telling people that Elizabethkingia (ee-LIZ’-ah-beth-KING’-ee-ah) was spreading in the state. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services began investigating the outbreak in December. The agency told hospitals to be on the lookout for infections in January but didn’t announce it to the public until March. State Health Officer Karen McKeown says disease detectives have been working aggressively to locate the source of the outbreak. McKeown says health officials are working to provide accurate information and prevent the spread of misleading information. Sixty adult cases of the bacteria have been confirmed. No confirmed cases have been found in children.
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Federal aviation officials say a pilot has died in the crash of a helicopter in Manitowoc County. The Federal Aviation Administration says the MD-369E chopper crashed under unknown circumstances near Reedsville Wednesday morning. The Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department says dispatchers received a call about 10 a.m. Sheriff’s authorities say the pilot was the only one on board. The FAA says the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into what caused the helicopter to go down.
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A man accused of driving drunk and killing a couple in a Green Bay traffic crash pleads not guilty in Brown County Circuit Court. Daniel Boucher faces 13 counts, including two of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle for the Feb. 19 crash which killed James and Wendy Rush of Hobart. A passenger in Boucher’s vehicle was injured in the crash. No trial date has yet been set.
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