HIT AND DRIVER CAUGHT
OSHKOSH POLICE CATCH A SUSPECTED HIT AND RUN DRIVER. THE 24-YEAR OLD MAN IS ACCUSED OF SLAMMING HIS MINIVAN INTO A PARKED CAR ALONG PROSPECT AVENUE BACK ON JANUARY 28TH—AND THEN TAKING OFF BEFORE POLICE ARRIVED. OFFICERS SPOTTED THE SUSPECT ALONG WRIGHT STREET AND TOOK HIM INTO CUSTODY AROUND 6:30 FRIDAY NIGHT. HE HAS BEEN CITED FOR HIT AND RUN OF AN UNATTENDED VEHICLE.
GAS PRICES UP
GAS PRICES ARE HEADING BACK UP IN THE FOX VALLEY. APPLETON GAS PRICES DOT COM REPORTS THE AVERAGE FOR A GALLON OF UNLEADED WENT UP FOUR-AND-A-HALF CENTS LAST WEEK—TO THREE-THIRTY-SIX. THAT IS 23-CENTS MORE A GALLON THAN WHAT WE WERE PAYING A YEAR AGO AT THE SAME TIME.
SEX OFFENDER MOVES TO FONDY
ANOTHER REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER HAS MOVED TO FOND DU LAC. RICHARD FORSYTH IS NOW LIVING IN THE FIRST BLOCK OF WEST COTTON STREET. FORSYTH SERVED PRISON TIME FOR THIRD DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF TEENAGE GIRL. HE REMAINS UNDER G-P-S MONITORING.
ROCK USA LINE UP
THE PROMOTERS OF ROCK U-S-A IN OSHKOSH HAVE RELEASED THIS YEAR’S HEADLINERS. SHINEDOWN WILL TOP THE BILL ON THURSDAY JULY 12TH. MOTLEY CRUE IS THE HEADLINE ACT ON FRIDAY JULY 13TH—WHILE KID ROCK WILL CLOSE THE EVENT ON SATURDAY THE 14TH. ROCK U-S-A IS HELD AT THE FORD FESTIVAL PARK JUST SOUTH OF OSHKOSH.
ABITZ TRIAL STARTS
TRIAL IS UNDERWAY FOR A FOND DU LAC MAN ACCUSED OF CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES TO HIS TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. THOMAS ABITZ, JUNIOR IS CHARGED WITH FELONY CHILD ABUSE AND BAIL JUMPING. ABITZ CLAIMS HE WAS PLAYING “AIRPLANE” WITH THE GIRL WHEN HE DROPPED HER. DOCTORS BELIEVE THE CHILD WAS THE VICTIM OF MULTIPLE ABUSE-RELATED INJURIES. THAT TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ALL WEEK. IF CONVICTED, ABITZ WOULD FACE UP TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON.
HOPPER SENTENCE
A BEAVER DAM TRAVEL AGENT WHO DEFRAUDED HER CLIENTS WILL SPEND 18-MONTHS IN PRISON. LISA HOPPER IS ALSO SENTENCED IN DODGE COUNTY COURT TO THREE YEARS ON EXTENDED SUPERVISION AND SEVEN YEARS PROBATION. HOPPER WAS AN EMPLOYEE AT CAROL’S TOURS WHEN CUSTOMERS CLAIMED THEIR DEPOSITS FOR TRIPS AND CRUISES WERE USED TO COVER THE OWNER’S PERSONAL EXPENSES. THE OWNER—DEBORAH PAUL—WILL RETURN TO COURT NEXT MONDAY FOR A PRELIMINARY HEARING.
JANQUART PLEA DEAL
A WISCONSIN DELLS MAN WHO MOLESTED A KAUKAUNA TEENAGER REACHES A PLEA DEAL WITH PROSECUTORS. DAVID JANQUART IS CONVICTED IN OUTAGAMIE COUNTY COURT ON ONE COUNT OF SECOND DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD. JANQUART HAD SEXUAL CONTACT WHILE VISITING THE GIRL’S HOME BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2010. HE FACES UP TO FORTY YEARS IN PRISON WHEN SENTENCED ON MAY SEVENTH.
HOWDEN SENTENCE
A MEMBER OF A FOND DU LAC DRUG RING WILL NOT HAVE TO SPEND ANY TIME BEHIND BARS. CARLY HOWDEN IS INSTEAD SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS ON PROBATION FOR FELONY DRUG POSSESSION. HOWDEN WAS ONE OF TWENTY PEOPLE ARRESTED AS PART OF A DRUG SWEEP IN FOND DU LAC LAST SPRING.
MONTELLO DAM CLOSE TO OPENING
THE DAM ON MONTELLO LAKE SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL SOON. CREWS ARE COMPLETING WORK ON THE DAM DOORS—RETURNING THEM TO FUNCTIONING STATUS. THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY NOW—BUT THE CONTRACTOR DISCOVERED A MAJOR ERROR IN THE DOOR DESIGNS ONCE WORK STARTED. THE COST OF REBUILDING THE DAM IS 225-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
VITA TAX SERVICES
VITA AND THE UNITE WAY ARE TEAMING UP AGAIN THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE FREE TAX HELP TO SENIORS AND THE LOW INCOME IN OSHKOSH. UNITED WAY DIRECTOR SUE PANEK SAYS THE VOLUNTEERS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY. A LIMITED NUMBER OF TAX PREPERATION APPOINTMENTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE BY CALLING THE OSHKOSH AREA UNITED WAY.
UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN UPDATE
THE OSHKOSH AREA UNITED WAY IS GETTING CLOSER TO ITS ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GOAL. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUE PANEK SAYS EXTENDING THE CAMPAIGN BY TWO MONTHS IS PAYING OFF. THE OSHKOSH AREA UNITED WAY FUNDS MORE THAN 30-OTHER NON-PROFIT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT WINNEBAGO COUNTY.
MEDICARE FORUMS
A GROUP IS TRAVELING THE FOX VALLEY TODAY (MONDAY) TRYING TO INFORM SENIORS OF THEIR NEW BENEFITS UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. BILLY FEITLINGER OF THE WISCONSIN ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS SAYS MUCH OF THE FOCUS IS ON PREVENTATIVE PROGRAMS. THE W-A-R-A HELD MEDICARE FORUMS IN OSHKOSH AND MENASHA TODAY.
WELLS IN WASHINGTON
U-W OSHKOSH CHANCELLOR RICHARD WELLS GOT A SNEAK PREVIEW LAST WEEK OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S NEW PROGRAM TO LOWER THE COST OF COLLEGE TUITION. WELL SAYS HE WAS IN WASHINGTON FOR A CONFRENCE WHEN HE WAS SELECTED TO MEET WITH WHITE HOUSE STAFF. WELLS IS NOT SURE IF THE COST OF THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN WILL WIN MUCH APPROVAL.
MORE CRASH INFO
THE FOND DU LAC COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT RELEASES MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRASH THAT KILLED THREE CAMPBELLSPORT TEENS AND INJURED SIX OTHERS. ALL NINE GIRLS HAD BEEN AT A SLUMBER PARTY FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN THEY DECIDED TO GO TO FOND DU LAC FOR FAST FOOD. ON THE WAY BACK, THEY STOPPED AT A FRIEND’S HOUSE IN EDEN TO TOILET PAPER SOME TREES BEFORE HEADING BACK TO CAMPBELLSPORT. THE DRIVER—CARLY OTTERY—LOST CONTROL ALONG BEACHNUT ROAD AND THE S-U-V RAN INTO A FARM FIELD—ROLLING SEVERAL TIMES. KATIE BERG, SABRINA STAHL AND CAITLIN SCANNELL DIED IN THE CRASH. ALLIE ADAMS, JESSICA HARBIN, THERESA FLOOD AND KASANDRA ANDERSON ARE ALL LISTED IN ‘SERIOUS” CONDITION AT CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN MILWAUKEE. OTTERY AND HALEY FRICKE ARE LISTED IN “SATISFACTORY” CONDITION AT SAINT AGNES HOSPITAL IN FOND DU LAC.
GREEN BAY ICE RESCUE
TEN FISHERMEN ARE BROUGHT TO SAFETY AFTER GETTING STRANDED ON THE ICE ON GREEN BAY. A RESIDENT ALONG THE SHORELINE IN LITTLE SUAMICO CALLED FOR HELP AROUND 11:30 THIS MORNING AFTER SEEING THE CRACK DEVELOP AND THE ICE SHELF FLOAT OUT INTO OPEN WATER. THE BROWN AND OCONTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENTS DISPATCHED THEIR ICE RECUE BOATS TO ASSIST IN THE RESCUE. NOBODY WAS HURT.
DE PERE SHOOTING AUTOPSIES
AUTOPSIES CONFIRM THAT ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF A DE PERE FAMILY DIED FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS. DENNIS BAY SHOT HIS WIFE—MICHELLE—AND THEIR KIDS—ANDREA AND DANIEL MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE SHOOTING HIMSELF ONCE FRIDAY AFTERNOON. DE PERE POLICE SAY THEY MAY NEVER KNOW THE EXACT MOTIVE FOR THE MURDERS—ALTHOUGH MICHELLE BAY HAD FILED FOR DIVORCE AND THE CASE WAS SCHEDULED TO GO TO TRIAL NEXT MONTH.
LAFRENIERE PLEA DEAL
A MENASHA MAN WHO DOWNLOADED CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FROM THE INTERNET REACHES A PLEA DEAL WITH PROSECUTORS. DONALD LAFRENIERE IS CONVICTED IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY COURT ON TWO COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF CHILD PORN—WITH TWO OTHER COUNTS DISMISSED. LAFRENIERE WAS BUSTED LAST AUGUST AS PART OF A STATE CRACKDOWN ON THE USE OF FILE SHARING WEBSITES WHERE IMAGES OF CHILD PORN WERE TRADED. HE FACES UP TO FIFTY YEARS IN PRISON WHEN SENTENCED ON APRIL FIFTH.
JAMES SENTENCE
A WAUPACA MAN WON’T SPEND ANY TIME IN PRISON FOR DOWNLOADING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY FROM THE INTERNET. INSTEAD, PATRICK JAMES IS SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS ON PROBATION. STATE AGENTS RAIDED JAMES’ HOME BACK IN MAY AFTER TRACKING HIS ON-LINE ACTIVITIES.
