There was a big drop in the local unemployment rate last month. The state Department of Workforce Development says the April unemployment rate in Dodge County is 2.3 percent, down from 3.1 percent in March. The jobless rate fell seven-tenths of a percent to 2.1 percent in both the city of Fond du Lac and Fond du Lac County last month.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats say they are going to fight to increase funding for K-12 schools after Republicans say they will propose an increase that's less than half of what Gov. Tony Evers called for. Republicans on Wednesday said they will support a $500 million increase over the next two years. The Democrat Evers proposed a $1.4 billion increase. Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach says Evers did the right […]
A former Taycheedah Correctional Institution correctional officer has been convicted of sexually assaulting an inmate. Forty two year old Joseph Kelm pleaded no contest to one count of second degree sexual assault by correctional staff, avoiding a trial scheduled to start this week. Three other counts were dismissed and read into the record. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled. According to a criminal complaint, Kelm had sexual contact with the […]
Highway construction season is getting underway in Fond du Lac County. Highway commissioner Tom Janke says two major projects this year are on county highways UU and V. Janke says other paving projects include Highway G in St. Cloud, Highway HH from 151 to G, a portion of Highway S and a four mile stretch of Highway C from County T to Highway 23. Janke says skyrocketing asphalt prices […]
Fire departments across the state have spent the past week helping the Appleton Fire Department. Fire Departments stepped up to help following the shooting death of an Appleton firefighter last week. Fond du Lac Fire Chief Pete O’Leary worked as the Appleton Fire Department Public Information Officer Monday from 8am to 11pm. "We provided all the Appleton firefighters with the chance to pay their respects to their brother without having […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources board is tweaking Wisconsin's bear hunt structure for the first time since 1980. The new framework calls for six bear management zones rather than the current four. Numeric zone kill limits in DNR rules would end. The agency would instead set limits based on agricultural damage, hunter success and nuisance complaints. The changes could into effect as early as the […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The state Department of Natural Resources board has approved a 2019 deer hunt framework that doesn't include any buck-only counties for the first time in a decade. Buck-only designations are typically imposed to protect does so area herds can grow. No buck-only counties signal the statewide herd's numbers are healthy, particularly in northwestern and southern Wisconsin. Hunters killed 160,653 bucks in 2018, the second-highest buck kill […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Conservation Congress has rejected the idea of paying bounties for deer carcasses infected with chronic wasting disease. The congress gauged support for the idea through an online survey and at its spring hearings in April. Nearly 60 percent of respondents supported the concept. Congress Chairman Larry Bonde told the state Department of Natural Resources board Wednesday that the congress' delegates voted against the idea […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin-based convenience store chain Kwik Trip has removed some vegetable trays from its stores after several reported illnesses in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Health officials say the Del Monte vegetable trays, which included broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and dill dip, have been linked to salmonella bacteria. So far, it has sickened three people in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota. Symptoms of salmonellosis are similar to the flu. The […]