News 04.22.16
22 April 2016 News
A Ripon woman is charged in connection with a drug bust in the City of Ripon. 38-year-old Shannon McCullagh-Hurley made her initial Fond du Lac County Court appearance Wednesday morning. She is facing charges of possessing methamphetamines and marijuana, along with possessing materials used to make meth. Bond was set at $500 cash. A preliminary hearing is set for May 5th. If convicted, McCullagh-Hurley faces up to ten years in prison and $21,000 in fines. According to police, evidence of a meth lab was found at McCullagh-Hurley’s residence – located at 204 ½ Eureka Street – during the execution of a search warrant last week. Another woman involved in the situation remains under investigation and charges could still be filed against her.
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Republican state representative Joan Ballweg of Markesan says the goal of the Rural Wisconsin Initiative is to bridge the rural-urban gap in Wisconsin. Two bills have been signed into law and Ballweg says six more bills remain priorities for next year’s budget. One bill signed by the governor last week forgives 25 percent of state higher education board loans annually as long as the teacher doesn’t work in an urban area. Another measure is designed to connect all of Wisconsin with high speed Internet by making it easier for communities to implement broadband projects. Ballweg says she would like to see all remaining pieces of the Initiative enacted next session either through the budget or as stand alone bills.
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A former music teacher at Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam accused of sexually assaulting a student pleads not guilty to charges against him. Twenty-three year old Adam Hechimovich of Mayville entered the plea this week in Dodge County Circuit Court. He’s charged with seven counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff and eight counts of child enticement- sexual contact. In December, police were contacted by the victim, his family, and an assistant dean at Wayland, stating that a teacher, identified as Hechimovich, had sexually assaulted the minor. The victim lived in a campus dormitory and Hechimovich was a hall monitor. The student told authorities that Hechimovich had sexual contact with him on multiple occasions between October and November of 2015. Hechimovich was placed on administrative leave, and his employment was later terminated.
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A new report from Gov. Scott Walker’s administration says more than 41,000 people lost access to food stamps in the first year of a new state law requiring them to seek employment. The state Department of Health Services report also shows that nearly 12,000 people found jobs thanks to a new training program for those on the food stamp program. Gov. Scott Walker is praising the law backed by Republicans that he signed. Walker says what many critics don’t account for is that many people find work on their own when told of the law’s requirements. DHS spokeswoman Claire Yunker says the department does not track how many of those who are eligible for the program found work on their own.
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U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention next month in Green Bay. The Janesville Republican is scheduled to speak May 14 at the annual gathering. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and a host of other GOP office holders are also expected to speak to nearly 1,000 Republicans. Retiring U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble is slated to serve as chairman of the convention, which comes two months before the national GOP convention in Cleveland. All of Wisconsin’s delegates to that convention will have been named before the state gathering. The Wisconsin Democratic Party convention is June 3 and June 4, also in Green Bay.
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A new state website shows people information about wildfires. The DNR says the Burning Restrictions and Fire Activity web page shows when and where wildfires have happened, any damage, weather conditions and the risk for additional wildfires in the area. Users are able to see locations for all 72 counties as well as information on where burning restrictions are in place. The DNR says so far this year, 231 fires have been reported, burning a total of 240 acres. The leading cause of the fires this year has been burning debris. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestFire/restrictions.html?showfires
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City leaders in Green Bay are starting the plans for a new district near Lambeau Field, that would create an ‘uptown’ neighborhood. Tuesday night, the city council approved $40,000 to go toward plans for the development. The area is near the Tundra Lodge on Ashland Avenue and is bound by Lombardi, and the city limits south and west. City leaders say there’s a lot of potential in this area and it’s time to make use of some of the underdeveloped land, to bring in more visitors.
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