News 2008-06-15 Andanh.com

PHOTOS: Fondy graduation Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:22:00 CST

Food Pantry flooded, closed indefinitely Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:13:00 CST
The Fondy Food Pantry is closed indefinitely due to flooding and sewer backup that destroyed the food stores. We were completely flooded, said organizer Mike Magnusson. We had flooding on Sunday and it took me three days to clean that. Now, following Thursday, everything is a total loss. The food, including all the food collected just last month during the annual Postal Carrier Food Drive, was stored in the basement of Church of Our Saviour, at the corner of Ninth and Main streets. The basement flooded. Now we need FEMA money to help us and were supposed to be helping others, an exasperated Magnusson said Sunday. We need to let people know not to bring food down here, he said. The food was stored in cardboard boxes that are now soaked with sewer water. Theres no way we can sterilize that, Magnusson said. He said he hoped to organize a meeting this week of food pantries in the area to determine who lost what and who has what to determine how the agencies can continue to help local folks in need.

Flooding takes toll on emergency staff/equipment Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:39:00 CST
From flooded facilities and totaled squad cars to over-worked, worn out staff, local police and fire departments count themselves among those hit by Thursdays flooding. The Fond du Lac Fire Department Main Street station had 15 to 18-inches of water at its back platform, said Capt. Tony Knecht. We had a lot of water, he said. We had sandbagged to try to prevent problems, now were trying to salvage what we can now. We had over a foot of water in our apparatus room. The water came inside and we have carpeting and drywall issues. Fortunately, the department didnt lose a lot of equipment. The Fond du Lac Police Department wasnt as lucky, floodwaters destroyed four squads and a fifth is badly damaged, said Chief Tony Barthuly. Mike Shannon (of Holiday Auto) donated three cars for us to use, he said. That is obviously going to help us. The Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Department had electrical damage to some squad cars, said Sgt. Renee Schuster. Several phone lines into the building also were down during Thursdays storms. Schuster, who also serves as Oakfield Police Department chief, has spent most of her time since Thursday afternoon keeping people out of that flood-ravaged community. The village was hit hard by flooding, she said. The entire south side was under water. While the city called the Oakfield Fire Department for mutual aid, she said the community couldnt spare any of its rescue personnel. The city did receive help from 11 mutual aid departments, Knecht said. Thats pretty overwhelming, he said. The city Fire Department did a mandatory callback Thursday when officials began to grasp the gravity of the storm and flood damage. That means if the department was able to get a hold of you, you were ordered to come in, he said. We got quite a group the first time and then again a second time when a call went out at 3 a.m. (Friday).

Pioneer Road shut down north of Scott Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:02:00 CST
A portion of Pioneer Road just north of Scott Street is shut down due to floodwaters creating a sink hole, according to a Fond du Lac Police Department press release. The spot is about 50 yards north of Scott. For the safety of citizens and motorists this stretch of roadway is being shut down until further notice. We are urging motorists to use the west frontage road (Rolling Meadows) or Prospect Avenue in the interim until this is repaired, said Fond du Lac Police Lt. Rob Duveneck at noon today. Police and public works crews were called to the area shortly before noon. Drivers throughout the county should use caution and roads remain closed in some areas where officials fear bridges and culverts may wash out, creating road hazards.

Fire, explosion threat due to flooding very real Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:54:00 CST
The threat of fire and explosion due to improperly refired gas furnaces and appliances is a real concern for local officials as residents begin to restore their homes following last weeks flooding. Our biggest concern is the next couple of weeks when gas service is repressurized, said Fond du Lac Fire Department Capt. Tony Knecht. How residents deal internally with furnaces, stoves, hot water heaters and other appliances is going to make a big difference in safety. Alliant Energy has issued a statement to local residents whose gas service was disconnected Thursday informing them of the steps they must take before Alliant will reconnect their service. Shortly after torrential rains hit late Thursday afternoon and early evening, the Fond du Lac Fire Department began receiving reports of gas leaks. In the 24-hour period after the rain started, the department responded to 250 calls for everything from rescues and evacuations to fires and gas leaks, Knecht said. Almost all of our evacuations were by boat, he said. We have Zodiac inflatable boats. We borrowed five from Mercury Marine and two from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Some firefighters brought in their own boats. There was no way we were going to get to people any other way. When the reports of gas leaks started flowing in, the city was lucky enough to get the services of 35-year veteran Alliant Energy troubleshooter, Don Stoikes. Stoikes took up residence in the command center where top officials gathered to coordinate response to the storm and flooding. Alliant shut down gas service to large grids in the city, Knecht said. He (Stoikes) said in all his 35 years, hes never seen anything like that happen. The decision was likely a life-saving one. Without doing that, we would be dealing with a lot more problems than we have now, Knecht said. As people begin to wade back into their homes, salvaging what they can from flooded basements, officials are reminding them a qualified professional must examine the appliance or equipment if water reached the item. Problems may not be visible, according to the statement from Alliant, and problems can range from a minimum of reliability concerns to fire or explosion. We are very concerned that there are going to be people out there who dont want to or cant afford to pay someone to come and check out their furnace and appliances, Knecht said. Residents whove had a problem with gas or electricity, should not return to their homes until Alliant has had a chance to check the residence for leaks, said Police Chief Tony Barthuly. He is hoping the area is declared a disaster, creating the availability of federal funding assistance. I sure as heck hope so, Barthuly said Sunday. There are a lot of people really, really down in the dumps and in need. A number of calls went out yesterday to the Red Cross. People are struggling and wondering where they are going to get the money to clean up.

Alliant working to restore power to Fond du Lac. Sun, 15 Jun 2008 11:40:00 CST
Over the weekend, the utility was working on three areas of Fond du Lac where the majority of the homes and businesses are safe for Alliant personnel to enter and relight natural gas, according to a press release from the utility. The three areas are: LI An area with Tomkins Street to the north Morris Court to the south Morris Street to the east and, South Seymour Street to the west this area includes about 820 customers and Alliant Energy was hoping that nearly all the customers in this section of the city would be restored Saturday. LI An area with the lake to the north Johnson Street from North Seymour Street to North Main Street to the south Main Street to the east and, West Lake Street to the west this area includes about 885 customers and Alliant Energy was hoping that nearly all the customers in this section of the city would be restored Saturday. LI An area with East Scott Street to the north East Johnson Street to the south Amory Street to the east and, North Main Street to the west this area includes about 320 customers and Alliant Energy was hoping to get a portion of the customers in this section of the city restored yet Saturday. While nearly all homes and businesses in these three areas are deemed safe enough to enter, Alliant Energy crews will not be able to restore service to customers that still have standing water in their basements. Alliant Energy crews will need access to enter homes in order to relight pilot lights and restore service. Alliant Energy crews worked until dark and started again at dawn today and will continue throughout the next several days until natural gas service is restored. Please note that Alliant Energy does not charge for flood-related disconnects and reconnects. Shutting off your gas and electric service during times of flooding is done for safety purposes. Alliant Energy will not charge you to have your service turned off when flooding occurs, or turned back on after the clean-up is done. For more information, call Alliant Energys 24-hour Customer Service Center at 1-800-255-4268.

Man nearly drowns today in FdL River Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:59:00 CST
A dramatic rescue took place early today of a man who had fallen into the Fond du Lac River. Fond du Lac police officers and firefighters received a call at 2:14 a.m. Sunday from a 32-year-old North Fond du Lac man who said he was about to fall into the river near Division and Macy streets, said Fond du Lac Police Department Lt. Rob Duveneck. When they arrived, officers could hear the man calling for help and found him in the east branch of the Fond du Lac River on the southeast side of the Division Street bridge, Duveneck said. They tried throwing a rescue line to him, but he was unable to grab it as the current was pulling him under the retaining wall. When the mans head went under water, two officers and one firefighter jumped into the water to rescue him, Duveneck said. With the help of another officer and firefighter, the unconscious man was pulled up the 6-foot wall to dry land. Paramedics worked on the man and he regained consciousness before he was transported to St. Agnes Hospital for treatment. This incident is a sobering reminder of how dangerous the high waters caused by recent storms can be, Duveneck said. Citizens are reminded to stay clear of these hazards and put personal safety first.

1 hurt in accident on Martin Road Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:09:00 CST
TOWN OF FOND DU LAC A Fond du Lac man was severely injured Saturday night in a one-car accident just south of the city of Fond du Lac. Joseph Hammock was driving north on Martin Road north of Lost Arrow Road in the town of Fond du Lac at 7:45 p.m. when he lost control of his car, traveled into a ditch and hit a pole, according to a Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Department report. Flight for Life helicopter responded to the accident and transported Hammock to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Information on his condition was not available Sunday. Hammock was the only person in his vehicle and alcohol is believed to be a factor in the accident, said Sheriffs Department Sgt. Jeff Bonack. Town of Fond du Lac Fire Department and Fond du Lac paramedics also responded to the accident.

Submit flood photos/stories Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:57:00 CST
Do you have a story or photo to share of the flooding and storms that struck Fond du Lac and Dodge counties last week If so, submit your photos to Pat Flood a pflood@fdlreporter.com or Justin Connaher at jconnaher@fdlreporter.com. Please include the identity of the people in the photo, where the photo was taken and when. Submit your story or story idea to Peggy Breister at pbreister@fdlreporter.com. We may use your photos or story on our Web site or in our print editions.

Fond du Lac residents coping, cleaning up after flood Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:53:00 CST
Rain-weary residents have returned to their homes to pump out basements, salvage furnishings and help neighbors.

City manager: Its the 100-year storm Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:53:00 CST
Fond du Lac Countys recovery from what is being called a 100-year-storm depends on approval for federal aid for those impacted by devastating and widespread flooding.

Red Cross volunteer: They just kept coming Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:52:00 CST
Gladys Lamers woke up at 2:30 a.m. to the sound of a man talking in her bedroom at Brookside Senior Apartments.

Bulky waste pickup starts Wednesday Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:45:00 CST
To aid in the cleanup from the rain storms of Sunday June 8, and Thursday, June 12, the Fond du Lac Department of Public Works will offer the following assistance to the public:

QUERY: Are you a rummage sale diehard Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:33:00 CST
The Reporter is looking for people who for bargain-hunters who save money by shopping at rummage sales. What kinds of deals do you find What types of items offer the best deals What are your tips for novice rummage salers Contact reporter Katie Kleine at 920-907-7819 or e-mail her at ckleine@actionadvertiser.com to share your thoughts and ideas. Your comments could be used for an upcoming feature in The Reporter.

Blood drive to be Tuesday, Wednesday Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
A Fond du Lac community blood drive will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at the Fond du Lac Armory, 769 Sullivan Drive.

Class of 48 looking for classmates Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
The Fond du Lac High School Class of 1948 is planning a 60-year reunion on Sept. 12 and 13.

A fathers advice can be passed on for generations Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
Dads teach sunflower seed spitting, tie tying, curveball throwing and other fine arts.

Artistic types asked participate in festival Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
The Fond du Lac Downtown Partnership invites the creative to participate in this years Fondue Festival.

Storms hit business community hard Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
Fond du Lac businesses have been bailing water, assessing damage and doing all they can to help each other.

Officials: Flooding could not be stopped Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
City of Fond du Lac officials said nothing could have been done to prevent the extensive flooding that forced hundreds from their homes and caused yet uncalculated damage in the community.

Floodwater damage to vehicles can be expensive Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
The decision to drive through high water could be a costly one.

Waupun sites available for items damaged in flood Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
WAUPUN Help is on the way for Waupun residents trying to bail out from last weeks flood waters.

Waupun continues to endure flooding woes Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
WAUPUN For Waupun residents, flooding seems to be a bad movie that keeps rewinding itself over and over again.

Moser Creek overflows its banks, flooding streets Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
The village of North Fond du Lac was officially declared a disaster area at 11 p.m. Thursday after heavy rains hit the area again and again.

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