5-22-13 fdl company expanding

A Fond du lac company has announced a multi-million dollar expansion.  Con-way Freight has announced plans to build a new state of the art 96 door, 47,000 square foot freight service center on 21 acres in the Fox Ridge Business Park.  The company says the new $8 million facility will serve as the local hub providing daily local freight pickup and delivery services.     The expansion will replace the company’s much small Morris Street service center.   The expanded operation is expected to employ 100 workers.  Today Con-way Freight operates a fleet of 18 commercial truck-tractors and 65 freight trailers.  The expanded operation will increase those numbers to 50 trucks and 160 trailers. 

5-22-13 health insurance-public safety workers

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Public safety workers could collectively bargain over their health insurance premiums but not other costs of their plan under action today by the Legislature's budget committee. The Joint Finance Committee voted to make the restriction for police, firefighters, and emergency medical service providers. They retained their collective bargaining rights two years ago while all other public workers saw them taken away.

5-22-13 act exam

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Legislature's budget committee has delayed taking a vote on whether to have every high school junior in Wisconsin take the ACT college entrance exam. The plan by state superintendent Tony Evers and Gov. Scott Walker was up for a vote today. But the Republican-controlled panel delayed taking action. It was not clear when they would take it up.

5-22-13 smoking-insurance

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — State workers who smoke would have to pay $50 more monthly for health insurance under a Gov. Scott Walker proposal that won approval today by the Legislature's budget committee. The Joint Finance Committee on Tuesday voted 13-3 to approve the fee. Twelve other states impose similar fees. Workers could face a surcharge if they are caught lying about tobacco use.

5-21-13 park board supports bmx-skatepark proposal

The Fond du lac Advisory Park Board is on record in support of allowing BMX bikes at the Adelaide Skate Park.  The Park Board voted unanimously at their meeting last night to recommend allowing BMX bikes to use the park on a trial basis this summer.  The Fond duLac city council will consider
the recommendation at their June 12^th meeting.  Fond du lac city councilmember Gary Miller says he is leaning toward voting in favor.  "Its not just skateboarders using it...everybody pays for this.  I think we must listen to those people,"  Miller said.  Several BMX supporters attended last night’s meeting.

5-21-13 dog attack trial

A Campbellsport man accused of ordering his pet dog to attack a teenage boy at his town of Osceola home last summer is on trial this week.  Opening statements were held Monday afternoon in the trial of Richard Lisko.  Lisko is charged with first degree reckless injury and false imprisonment.    During opening statements assistant District Attorney Dennis Krueger told the jury that Lisko accused of the 18 year old victim of stealing his morphine pills and commanded his pit bull to attack the teen while the victim’s father stood by and did nothing to stop the attack.  "He (Lisko) punched him in the face, had his dog attack him and hung him by his feet for 45 minutes,"  Krueger said.  Defense attorney Daniel Stevens says the teen and his friends had been terrorizing Lisko in the days and weeks leading up to the incident burglarizing Lisko’s home.  "...he was being terrorized by a group of young punks with guns.  They come in, they shoot his sheep, shoot at him, and try and break into his house, try to break into his trailer,"  Stevens said.  The trial is scheduled to last all week.

5-21-13 flu shot bill

A Fond du lac lawmaker says it’s a question of freedom, the Fond du lac County Public Health Officer has concerns about a newly proposed flu shot bill.  Republican representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says under his bill Wisconsin employers including hospitals and nursing homes could no longer require workers to get flu shots.  "The biggest issue of it for me is a freedom issue.  It kind of comes down to your own personal freedoms to be able to medicate yourself in the way you see fit,"  Thiesfeldt said.   Fond du Lac County Public Health officer, Kim Mueller, says she was surprised to hear about the proposal.  "We try so hard every year to push getting the flu vaccinations and to have something come out like this, its a shame,"  Mueller said.   Thiesfeldt says he’s heard from hospital workers and health care contractors who say there were fired for refusing to be vaccinated.  "We have employees that have lost their jobs and I can produce these employees who have lost their jobs because of this,"  Thiesfeldt said.  "There are many who are grudginly taking this shot under the guise of protecting patients and protecting themselves from the flu who then ultimately do get sick.  There are certain people out there who know full well they have had these shots in the past, that when they get the flu shot they're going to get sick and miss work because they got the flu shot."  Mueller says you don't get the flu from the flu shot and says news that employees have lost their jobs for refusing to get the vaccine comes as a surprise to her.  "I don't know of anybody in this area or anywhere actually that has been fired due to something like this.  A lot of times if somebody doesn't want that vaccination for religious or medical reasons any employer will just have them sign a waiver,"  Mueller said.   Thiefeldt says there is a lot of debate about how effective the flu shot is in the first place.  Mueller says the effectiveness of the flu shot is getting better…and while it may not prevent everybody from getting sick, it may also lessen the severity of the symptoms for people who do get sick.