FOND DU LAC, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - There were some scary moments for a Fond du Lac woman who was trapped on the second floor of a burning home Monday morning.

Fond du Lac Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says when they got to the home at 16 North Lincoln Avenue there was fire coming out of two windows in the front corner of the home.   Crews noticed the woman was trapped on the second floor.  The department’s engine company raised a ladder up to the window she was in and helped her get safely to the ground.

Haase says the other tenant in the home, a man, inadvertently helped to create conditions which led to the woman being trapped.  He says the man went downstairs to explore the smell of the fire.  When he found it, he left the home but left the front door open.  That allowed the fire to grow, and created more smoke which prevented the woman from coming down safely.

Both were checked out by paramedics at the scene.

The fire was contained to a first floor living room, but there was smoke damage throughout the home. Haase says the cause of the blaze is still being determined.

Preliminary damage estimates were put at about $35,000. Smoke alarms were not working at the time of the fire.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan woman could avoid serving time in prison for her role in a heroin overdose case last year.

Judge L. Edward Stengel sentenced 34 year old Nicole Meyer last week to four months in jail for one count of possession of narcotic drugs.

The charge was due to her role in a drug overdose incident at a home on the 500 block of South 13th Street back in August of 2014.  EMT’s used Narcan to revive the unconscious person, and that person claimed Meyer provided the heroin that she injected.  The criminal complaint for the charge stated Meyer denied the allegation when interviewed.

Online court records show former Judge Terrence Bourke had given Meyer a two year deferred prosecution back in May for the charge.  However, that agreement was revoked last month when Meyer was charged for an incident back in July when Sheboygan Police found cocaine and other drugs in a vehicle that was subject to a traffic stop.

As part of the sentence, Judge Stengel offered Meyer a chance to avoid jail time if she enrolled and completed impatient treatment.  In addition, three years of probation were withheld.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Plymouth will have to serve seven months in jail for committing his fifth OWI offense back in July.

Judge L. Edward Stengel sentenced 31 year old Jordan Adams last week to the jail time on the same day he pleaded no contest to the OWI offense and operating with a revocation.  A charge of operating with a PAC was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

According to the criminal complaint, a Sheboygan Falls Police officer conducted a traffic stop on Pine Street July 3 of the vehicle Adams was driving.  Adams reportedly told the officer he was driving the truck back to a friend’s place, and that he was coming from Falls Tap after having a few beers.

The officer became suspicious Adams was under the influence based on the smell of alcohol from the truck, and noticing him with glossy eyes and slurred speech.  Adams was arrested based on his performances of field sobriety tests, plus registering a preliminary breath test level of point-307.

In addition to the jail time, Adams will have his license revoked for three years and will be required to use an ignition interlock for three years.  He was also give three years probation, but Judge Stengel withheld this part of the sentence.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Plymouth man avoided a jury trial at the last moment, as a plea deal was reached Monday.

Online court records show Judge Rebecca Persick accepted an Alford Plea for Nicholas Pfeifer, meaning he still claims his innocence but will still take punishment for the crime he is charged for committing.  The charge against him also changed as part of the plea, from second degree sexual assault of a minor to causing a child between the ages of 13 and 18 to view a sexual activity.

The 20 year old Pfeifer was charged back in early March after he allegedly sexually assaulted the sister of his then girlfriend at her home over a roughly two month period.

The case was ready to proceed with a jury trial this week that could have lasted up to four days, but the plea deal cancelled that.

Sentencing for Pfeifer is scheduled for January 21.

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WI (WHBL) - The final numbers are in from the latest storm system to pass through Wisconsin.  Sheboygan County saw over 1.5-inches of rain December 13 and 14.  The National Weather Service says locations from Prairie du Chien northeast to Green Bay saw over two inches, and some locations got over three inches.

The persistent rain caused some roadways in Green Bay to be under water for a time Monday due to slow draining.  Some homes also had to deal with flooded basements.  The Menasha High School in the Fox Valley had to send students home early due to water entering the building near electrical panels.

Here in Sheboygan County, the Sheboygan River did reach a height of 6.2-feet Monday evening, but since then the level has been slowly dropping.

A question that can be asked is why did Wisconsin deal with rain instead of snow with the latest storm.  Meteorologist Bob McMahon with the National Weather Service office in Sullivan says it is all because of one of the strongest El Nino pattern in recorded history. “We’ve been in an overall warm pattern over much of the United States, especially the northern tier.  And consequently the air temperatures not only at the surface but aloft are certainly more conducive to producing rain.  Consequently we’ve been having these above normal temperatures and the rain instead of snow.”

Having temperatures in the 50s and rain showers is nothing new for Wisconsin with plenty of past winter seasons where similar conditions have occurred.  Still, McMahon says it is not what typically happens.  “It’s unusual for this time of the year climatologically, but given that we’re in an El Nino situation it’s not that uncommon to have warm weather precipitation versus snow this time of the year.”

One could also ask what would have happened if the storm system took place when temperatures and the atmosphere were at their typical cooler levels.  McMahon says the ten-to-one snow ratio probably would not have happened. “If it was a colder system, cold air doesn’t hold that much moisture.  So we wouldn’t be seeing the two to three inches of liquid equivalent, but that being said with the draw of moisture from the Gulf (of Mexico); had we’d been cold enough this could have been a significant snow that would have approached ten, twelve inches in a band somewhere in the middle and southern part of the state.”

Snow was a part of the storm system, with locations in far northern and northwest Wisconsin seeing up to a few inches.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Over one-hundred thousand dollars worth of damage occurred due to a fire at a home and garage on Sheboygan’s south side Monday evening.

The Sheboygan Fire Department says they got word of a vehicle fire in an attached garage at 3309 Hickory Circle around 4:55 p.m.  When fire crews and police arrived on scene, the garage was fully engulfed and flames had begun to spread to the bedrooms above it.

After double checking to make sure no one was in the part of the building where the fire was occurring, crews worked to extinguish the fire and keep it from spreading to the rest of the home.

The roof had extensive charred areas, but the rest of the home only suffered minor smoke damage.  Still, damage was estimated around 120-thousand dollars; 80-thousand to the structure and 40-thousand for content.

The Red Cross was called to assist the family, and an investigation continues into what caused the fire to start.

TOWN OF ELDORADO, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) -  A Milwaukee County judge Wednesday could make a decision on the placement of a violent sex offender who was supposed to be placed in the Town of Eldorado.

That became less of a possibility when the state’s Department of Health Services submitted a letter to the court withdrawing their request for a supervised release plan to place 51-year-old Clinton Rhymes in Eldorado.

Rhymes is eligible for supervised release after serving time for a 1988 sexual assault and attempted murder case.  It was current regulations regarding where sex offenders can be place in Milwaukee County, plus objections from local leaders there, that had the DHS consider his release in Fond du Lac County.

Despite this latest development, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says the judge still has to make the final decision.  “So it’s not a done deal yet, but it’s definitely a positive sign with DHS now requesting to withdraw that proposed placement.”

The DHS cited “matters outside our control” as the reason the placement is no longer viable. Toney says an ordinance recently passed by the Town Board and opposition at a meeting called by Sheriff Mick Fink got the attention of the DHS.   “This is really a sign of community members banding together and saying ‘this isn’t right, we don’t want this in our community’, and then doing something about it; writing letters to the judge, showing up to the informational hearing and showing that it wasn’t something that they wanted to tolerate.  I have to imagine that DHS and others in the state took notice of that.” 

Toney says it’s hoped that local state legislators like Senator Rick Gudex and State Representative Michael Schraa can craft legislation that will prevent other communities from having to go through what Eldorado has.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan Police officer can credit a screwdriver for finding a suspect who is accused of trying to break into a room at a laundromat in Sheboygan last week, possibly to steal coins.

43 year old Tony Britton faces charges of attempted burglary to a room, possession of burglarious tools, criminal damage to property, possession of drug paraphernalia, and misdemeanor bail jumping.  He was charged Monday, December 14, after Sheboygan Police were called to investigate an attempted forced entry into the basement of the Geele Avenue Laundromat December 9.

The criminal complaint states an employee noticed the door to the basement was damaged while he was not at the business for a short while that afternoon.  While examining the door, the officer noticed there were pry marks on the gold-colored frame and scratches on the door’s white paint.  Based on the grooves and line striations on the marks, the officer determined they were made by a screwdriver.

In addition to the door, the employee said the suspect was likely responsible for damage to a fake surveillance camera hanging from the ceiling of the business.  In total, damage was estimated between 150 and 200 dollars.

The employee showed the officer what may have been the likely reason for trying to open the door.  The door allows a person to gain access to the backside of a coin machine, and a box where coins are kept.  However, the employee said the machine was not working at the time, so there was no money inside.

The officer expanded his investigation by talking to a person who works at a nearby business.  The man suspected Britton as a suspect.  He added Britton comes to his business on a normal basis asking for work.  On this day, the man said Britton did ask to borrow a screwdriver.  After leaving the business for about 15 minutes with the tool, Britton returned it.

The officer was allowed to look at the screwdriver, and he noticed it had marks similar to ones made on the laundromat door, plus a white paint substance on it.

The officer also talked to another person who was present at the store that Britton borrowed the screwdriver from.  She said Britton was asking people for spare change both outside and inside the business.  She did notice Britton had a screwdriver when he left the first time and went towards the laundromat.  However, she did not see him enter the store.

After these interviews, the officer got in contact with Britton over the phone.  The officer claims Britton told him he was at the store and used a screwdriver, but he denied using it to break into anything.  When the officer asked to meet with Britton in person, he declined because he would be arrested for a probation hold.

It would be on December 12 when Sheboygan Police arrested Britton.  It was during a strip search that a crack pipe was found on Britton, tucked in the waistband of his underwear.

Britton now faces over 12 years in prison if found guilty of all charges.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Plymouth man will have to serve 30 days in jail starting in February for his unlawful interactions with police officers back in July.

Judge Timothy Van Akkeren sentenced 36 year old Chad Rosenberger last week after he pleaded no contest to two counts of resisting/obstructing an officer, plus one count each of disorderly conduct and bail jumping.

The criminal complaint against him states a Plymouth Police officer was traveling in his squad car around Antonio’s Bar July 12 when Rosenberger acted in a derogatory manner to the officer.  The officer got out and tried to ask why Rosenberger acted as he did, but Rosenberger continued to act uncooperative.  This forced the officer and several others to take him into custody, which required several taser deployments, pepper spray use, and physically trying to keep Rosenberger under control.

Rosenberger was eventually taken into custody, but he and an officer needed medical attention at hospitals.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - It has hit other communities in Wisconsin in recent months, but now it has occurred in Sheboygan.

The Sheboygan Police Department is advising residents to be aware of the IRS telephone scam after they received multiple calls regarding it lately.

The scam works as follows: a person calls someone claiming to be from the IRS and demands that the victim pay a bogus tax bill or else they will send law enforcement to arrest them.  The way payment is requested is by sending money either by a prepaid debit card or by wire transfer.

Captain Kurt Brasses says the IRS does not operate in this manner. 

If anyone receives a call like this, the person is asked to hang up and not give out any personal information.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - This past Sunday saw local law enforcement agencies conduct their third and final High-Visibility Education and Enforcement task force to deter drunk driving.

Sheboygan Police Sergeant Terry Meyer says this included added patrol on Sheboygan roadways to stop vehicles. “We had 59 traffic stops, eight warnings, 19 citations, and one arrest on a warrant.  There was no drunken driving arrest, but the point of this operation is not to arrest drunken drivers.  It’s to educate the public to have them seek other options, be it a designated driver or a taxi or a safe ride program.”

The departments did this with added educational items given out to restaurants and bars that sell alcohol, and by doing a Tweet along with a patrol car as it made it rounds in the city.  Meyer says the Tweet along did get some interest.  “There are people that (did) follow along.  I was kind of following along myself, and people are making comments, so it’s good to have them be aware and follow us along on their Twitter accounts.”

Though the most recent effort has ended, Meyer says it will be done again. “It will be taken up again once we get into the new year, just that the dates haven’t been set.  But once they are we will advertise like we have, and try to get people to find alternative ways home.”

FOND DU LAC, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - The Fond du Lac County Board Tuesday night unanimously passed a resolution opposing the placement of Milwaukee County sex offender Clint Rhymes in a town of Eldorado residence.  In addition, the resolution also opposes the placement of any non-county sex offenders like Rhymes in a Fond du Lac County home.

District Attorney Eric Toney told the board the Town of Eldorado last week tightened up their own ordinance regarding the placement of sex offenders in the town.  That ordinance will only allow people with connections to the township to be placed there. 

Toney says that ordinance and opposition from town residents had some influence on the state’s Department of Health Services, which is now withdrawing its request to place Rhymes in Eldorado.

Fond du Lac County Sheriff Mick Fink told the board the town residents did what they had to do with a meeting and letters to the judge, but they wanted to add the voices of county supervisors.   “Now that it is in front of you folks; we’re not looking to beat any drums, what we’re looking to do is get some very good discussion going.  We’re not looking for a fight, but we’re looking for is to bring this issue to light.”

Rhymes’ placement could still happen, as a Milwaukee County judge will hold a hearing Wednesday to make a decision.  DHS has asked that they be given more time to find a place for him to be under supervised release.

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WI (WHBL) - Work on expanding Highway 23 between Plymouth and Fond du Lac has been on hold since Federal Judge Lynn Adelman ruled in May a new review of data was needed to justify using federal funds for it.  The ruling came after the group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin has questioned the data originally used by the DOT to ask for federal funds to aid in the project, saying there were enough questions to justify the highway's expansion as the DOT has planned.

Area State Senator Devin LeMahieu tells WHBL News the day has come to review that data.  “There’s a hearing update with Judge (Lynn) Adelman with the Wisconsin DOT and the federal transportation giving their updated report to Judge Adelman; so hopefully we can get this issue resolved early next year so we can get going on the project hopefully next year…as soon as possible.”

Area state legislators like LeMahieu have been voicing their support for getting the project back on schedule.  This has included two letters to Judge Adelman, and that support will continue after today.  “Our area legislators will be putting pressure on to get that, assuming the court case works out in the direction that we think that it should, moving that project forward as soon as possible.”

LeMahieu says his support for expanding Highway 23 for several reasons, but one that he has heard a lot about is to improve the safety of the roadway. “It’s an extremely dangerous stretch of road.  I mean it needs to be done.  The sooner that we can get added lanes onto that highway, the safer that it is going to be.  That’s a main stretch of road.  I hear from commuters, multiple people weekly, just saying when are you going to get this done?  It needs to be done, we’ve been waiting forever.  So it’s definitely top on the agenda list for legislators in this area.”

As for the project itself at the state level, it was targeted for another delay of up to two years after the state budget included a funding cut towards major transportation projects statewide.  That was avoided after the Joint Finance Committee approved more borrowing for projects.

KOHLER, WI (WHBL) - Day 32 of the strike by United Auto Workers Local 833 against the Kohler Company may be the last.

In a joint statement by the two entities Tuesday night, they announced that a new four-year contract is ready for approval by the roughly two-thousand members of the union.  This comes after the union’s bargaining committee unanimously recommended ratification.

Contract talks have been going on for over a week between the two side, following the union’s decision on November 15 to go on strike after they rejected what was at that time Kohler’ s “last, best and final offer.”

The union’s Facebook page states picketing outside the company’s two plants will end starting today.

Specific details on the contract were not released, but a statement by union President Tim Tayloe provided some broad details.  They include continuing a two tier system for employees but “significantly” bringing their wages closer together, wage increases in each year of the contract, enhancing benefits, and modifying healthcare plans to reduce the potential for increased out-of-pocket costs.  Tayloe added the agreement “addresses all of the key areas crucial to the future of our members.”

Kohler Company President and CEO David Kohler said in a statement the agreement “recognizes the contributions of our associates and positions our local, Wisconsin operations to be more competitive in the future.”  He added the agreement reflects what both sides have in common than their differences.

Union members will vote on the contract at a meeting at Plymouth High School, scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.

PLYMOUTH, WI (WHBL) - When Plymouth Police responded to a home December 13 of a person not breathing, they soon found evidence that showed the people inside were likely dealing with illegal drugs.

This led to charges against three people Tuesday.  Sheboygan County prosecutors detail their case against 25 year old Ryan Diekow, 24 year old Cody Diekow, and 21 year old Amelia Laduke, in separate but mostly similar criminal complaints.

They begin with police finding Ryan and Cody in a bedroom with Ryan reportedly appearing disoriented and confused.  After an officer determined that Ryan had taken some form of opioid, EMS personnel were called to treat him.

As this occurred, police noticed drug paraphernalia items such as rubber tourniquets, spoons with residue on them, multiple syringes, and bags of cotton balls.  That led to a search warrant and finding items associated with the cooking and injecting of heroin, plus the use of marijuana or other controlled substances such as prescription medication.

During their investigation, police conducted an interview with Amelia, who was at the home when officers arrived.  She reportedly said herself, along with Cody, Ryan and two others, decided to travel to Milwaukee to purchase heroin.  She said it was Ryan who bought the drug for 50-dollars.

Amelia said the heroin was cooked and injected before they returned to Plymouth.  After taking it, Ryan reportedly overdosed.  She said they were considering taking him to the hospital, but after CPR was performed Ryan woke up.  Instead, they all returned to Plymouth.

Once back home she, Ryan and Cody again injected heroin.  At one point Amelia noticed both Ryan and Cody both were unconscious, which resulted in her performing CPR and calling 911.

Another officer conducted an interview with Cody.  At first, he reportedly claimed he, Amelia, Ryan and two others left the home to go to Sheboygan and then came back, only adding that at one point Ryan may have bought heroin in the city.  When asked about using heroin himself, Cody claimed he was clean for a week.  That story changed after the officer who interviewed Amelia asked Cody if he shot up heroin twice today, to which he replied yes.

After the interview, police instructed Cody to sit in a chair while a search warrant was obtained.  Once the warrant was received, Cody supposedly started to move about the house, violating officers’ orders.  An officer grabbed Cody, who is accused of trying to resist.  That forced the officer to take Cody down to the ground and handcuff him before going back to the chair.

Cody is facing four charges; second-degree recklessly endangering safety, possessing drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer, and obstructing an officer.  He could face over 11 years in prison for the charges.  Amelia and Ryan are charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, which could earn them up to 30 days in jail and fines up to 500 dollars.

MILWAUKEE, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - A 51-year-old sex offender from Milwaukee County won’t be placed in a residence in the Fond du Lac County Town of Eldorado.  A judge Wednesday accepted the state’s Department of Health Services request to withdraw their initial request to place Clint Rhymes there.

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney was there, and says it was a victory for town residents and others involved in stopping the placement.  He says many town residents took up Sheriff Mick Fink’s challenge to write letters to the judge.   “The judge referenced them during the hearing and he held up a stack of papers that, from where I was sitting, looked to be a couple inches thick.”  The judge also read some of the letters during the hearing.

In addition, Toney himself delivered to the court a copy of an advisory resolution passed by the Fond du Lac County Board opposing Rhymes placement.

The judge did schedule a hearing for February 24^th to determine where in Milwaukee County Rhymes will be placed. In 1998 Rhymes was convicted of a violent sexual assault and attempted murder. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison, and became eligible for supervised release in 2014.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan woman will be spending nine months in jail for selling prescription drugs to an undercover agent of the Sheboygan County Drug Unit several times.

33 year old Alicia Espinoza was sentenced last week by Judge Timothy Van Akkeren after she pleaded no contest back in October to one count of manufacturing/delivering a schedule one and/or two narcotic.

Espinoza was charged back in August for incidents that took place in June of 2014, plus July of this year.  The criminal complaint against her states the two incidents last year were set up controlled buys of Percocet by an undercover agent with the Sheboygan County MEG Unit with Espinoza.

MADISON, WI (WHBL) - Governor Scott Walker was busy Wednesday signing ten bills into law that had recently passed the state Legislature.

One of the bills that were signed was co-authored by area State Senator Devin LeMahieu, and will give victims of sexual assault more time to come forward.  It will extend the criminal statute of limitation for second and third degree sexual assault charges from six to ten years, putting it more in line with other states across the nation.

In a statement, LeMahieu said the idea for the law was courtesy of a constituent who told him she was sexually assaulted in college.  However, she could not bring her case to court since she waited longer than six years to be comfortable enough to do so, meaning no charges can be brought against her accused offender.

Another author for the bill, State Senator Julie Lassa, said in a statement the bill will provide those traumatized by sexual assault to have ample time to recover and then try to bring their attacker to justice.

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - Sheboygan County’s Board of Supervisors was busy this week approving items that would save money for operations.

One way they did this was changing how they operate their self-run health insurance plans for county employees. “There’s a Wisconsin County Association that groups together for sharing the risk and lower some of the rates," says board Chairman Roger Te Stroede, "and we were able to do that a few other things to garner on 900-thousand dollars in savings.”

Te Stroede adds the credit for the savings goes to several people. “A shout out to the Human Resources Committee; Fran Damp and the rest of the members, and Tom Wagner, our vice-chairman, is on the Insurance company group for the county association, and he was the one that pointed up to the possibility of the savings, and a great improvement and savings without a plan change.”

The other way the county will save is with the issuance of general obligation promissory notes.  County Administrator Adam Payne says the savings will be in interest. “We were looking at 2.41-percent in interest rates for a ten year period.  (Tuesday) night we were able to lock in 1.88.  So the county board in one swoop saved 316-thousand dollars last night."

The amount of money issued in promissory notes was 9.5-million dollars.  Payne says that will be used to pay for capital improvement projects. “We have a thoughtful five year capital plan that they develop and refine every year.  Things like transportation infrastructure, replacing roofs, HVAC for UW-Sheboygan.  One of the bigger items in there is one-point-eight million dollars to get started on our highway facility.  We’re looking to consolidate two highway sheds into one, the Plymouth and Elkhart Lake sheds will be consolidated into one facility, as well as the main headquarters here in Sheboygan.”

Overall, Payne said Tuesday evening was a good night for Sheboygan County.  "So between that, and the 942-thousand dollars in savings as part of the group health trust plan, your county board of supervisors had a pretty productive evening.”

SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) - A Sheboygan man will have to serve seven years in state prison for his reactions to two girlfriends breaking up with him, which included using a handgun.

39 year old Rodrick Ashley was sentenced last week by Judge Timothy Van Akkeren after a jury found him guilty in November of a felon in possession of a firearm, intentionally pointing a firearm at a person, and two counts of disorderly conduct.

The criminal complaint filed against Ashley stated Sheboygan Police were called to the 900 block of Ontario Avenue July 11 to investigate a disturbance at a residence earlier that day.  They talked to a woman, who claimed to have been a girlfriend of Ashley’s.

She said she confronted him about cheating on her and wanted to break up.  This led to an argument between the two, which at one point led Ashley to grab a gun and point it at her.

Eventually she went to work, but had to leave early after Ashley called her there over 150 times.  When she returned home, she found a bathroom sink has been broken from the wall, and believes it was Ashley that did this.

Police also talked to a second person, who also claimed to be a girlfriend of Ashley’s and wanted to break up with him over him cheating on her.  She claims Ashley spat on her when they got into an argument.

When police interviewed Ashley, he said the situation on Ontario Avenue was more the fault of his girlfriend, including the damaged sink.

Following the jail time, Ashley will have to serve six years extended supervision.