News – September 22, 2021

The Fond du Lac sheriffs’ office responded to reports of an injury crash Monday evening at 8:31PM in the Village of Rosendale.  The crash at the intersection of HWY 26 and HWY 23 occurred when a semi, operated by a 64 year old Minnesota man traveling west on HWY 23 failed to stop for a red light.  The semi entered the intersection striking a northbound vehicle driven by a 31 year old Rosendale woman.  The driver of the vehicle was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained significant injuries, and was transported to St. Agnes Hospital.  The semi operator was uninjured.  Inattentive driving appears to be a factor in the crash.

Waupun fire crews responded to reports of a structure fire at 1105 Rock Avenue in Waupun Tuesday night at 950 PM.  Upon arrival at the apartment structure, visible smoke was coming from the entry doors to the building, with tenants indicating there was a fire in a first floor kitchen.  Firefighters were able to locate the apartment and put out the fire, which the tenant had used a fire extinguisher on prior to their arrival, helping to contain the blaze.  Only one resident was displaced.  Investigations show unattended cooking was likely the cause of the fire.  Assisting on scene were the Alto and Brandon-Fairwater fire department, Waupun police department, and Lifestar ambulance.

(Juneau) The Dodge County Board approved the tentative supervisory district plan Tuesday night. The action allows municipalities to review the boundary changes made by the county’s Redistricting Committee and create ward plans based on the proposed districts. The Redistricting Committee will meet again in early October to redraw the boundaries if needed. A public hearing on the final redistricting plan is scheduled for November 2nd. A photo of both the current supervisory district map and the proposed one is available at DailyDodge.com.

(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam has settled a lawsuit filed by Walmart over the assessment of its store and its distribution center. Walmart contended their property assessment should be based on those of vacant competitors, meaning less revenue for local governments and more tax burden shifted to other commercial and residential taxpayers. The city will pay around $45-thousand dollars, compared to the $260-thousand sought for just the distribution center. City officials confirm that the properties would continue to be assessed as they always have after next year.

(Waupun) A Fond du Lac County jury Friday found a Milwaukee man guilty of First Degree Reckless Homicide in connection to an overdose death of a Waupun man. Sonny Vincent Lawrence was found guilty of supplying Austin Vande Zande with fentanyl at a residence in Fond du Lac in March of 2020. Lawrence faces up to 25-years in prison. A sentencing hearing for the 29-year-old will be scheduled at a later date.

(Beaver Dam) A well-known Beaver Dam attorney has passed away. Randy Doyle is a Marquette Law School graduate who practiced in Dodge County for nearly 20 years. He ran unsuccessfully for Dodge County Circuit Court judge in the spring of 2017. Doyle – who was originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee – was 51-years-old.

(Brandon) A one-mile road construction project along Highway 49 in the Village of Brandon is now complete. State transportation officials say work included milling two-inches and paving two-inches of the highway from County Road TC to the western limits of Brandon, pedestrian curb ramp replacements, spot curb and gutter replacement and pavement marking are all completed. They say the improvements provide a smother driving surface for motorists and extend the life of the existing pavement. The $350-thousand-dollar project began on July 26th and was finished on time. Minor project clean up may take place this week but should not affect traffic.

(Wisconsin) The University of Wisconsin System has returned to pre-pandemic levels of in-person instruction for the fall semester. UW System President Tommy Thompson announced Tuesday that systemwide, 85-percent of undergraduate courses are being delivered in person. That exceeds the goal of 75-percent that Thompson set in February, when more classes than usual were delivered remotely due to the COVID pandemic. – WRN