Monday 1/21/19
21 January 2019 News
Man Shot By BD Police Officer Bound Over For Trial
A 35-year-old Beaver Dam man shot by a police officer during a domestic dispute last October has been bound over for trial. Richard Henke suffered non-life threatening injuries during the incident in which he allegedly pointed an “AR 15 type” rifle at Beaver Dam Police Officer Brian Linzenmeyer. The officer believed Henke was going to kill him and the woman Henke had been dragging by the hair so he shot Henke. Henke faces felony and misdemeanor charges for the incident, which could net him up to 17 years in prison. He will be arraigned on March 13th. The Dodge County District Attorney’s Office cleared Linzenmeyer in the shooting this past week saying it was justified.
Former Fondy State Patrol Captain Promoted To Superintendent
Governor Tony Evers has appointed a major who worked at the State Patrol Post in Fond du Lac to Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent. Major Anthony Burrell was raised in Milwaukee and has nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience. In 2015 he was promoted to Captain of the Fond du Lac Post or Northeast Region of the State Patrol, which oversees 11 counties. In March of that year Trooper Trevor Casper was shot and killed in a gun battle in Fond d Lac with a bank robbery suspect who Casper fatally wounded. Following that incident Burrell was awarded the Medal of Valor-the State Patrol’s highest decoration for bravery. In December of 2016 Burrell was promoted to Major and Deputy Director of the State Patrol’s Bureau of Field Operations which oversees about 385 law enforcement personnel and an annual budget of $45 million.
Markesan Police Caution Residents About Scam Callers
Markesan Police are cautioning residents after receiving calls from three residents about scam phone calls. Scammers had called them posing as an IRS or Social Security Administration worker. Phone numbers that came up on caller ID were from Texas and the Washington, D.C. area. Police remind residents that callers can spoof phone numbers that look like they are calling from anywhere. Markesan Police say if you don’t recognize a number or get a prerecorded call the best thing thing to do is hangup.
Prison Reform Could Be A Bipartisan Effort
State Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling says prison reform is one of the things Governor Tony Evers hopes to tackle this legislative session. She says Evers recently visited Lincoln Hills, which will close in 2021 and also visited Green Bay Correctional. He talked about prison reform when he met the Senate Democratic Caucus this past week. Shilling went to a dinner last month in La Crosse where former Governor Tommy Thompson spoke. She says Thompson believes prison reform can be a bipartisan effort. “Governor Thompson specifically pointed out that a new administration, a new legislature that there were some common issues he thought could find common ground and he pointed to transportation and criminal justice reform and prison reform.”
School Zone Safety
Unfortunately distracted driving doesn’t just happen on our highways. Ripon Police Captain Troy Damsteegt says it also happens in school zones even while children are on their way to and from school. “Well unfortunately sometimes people do get distracted and I don’t know if they get distracted by their phone or something on their mind they don’t always watch for the crossing guards even though we have them out there with, some of them blinking stop signs and we have them in orange vests and stuff like that.” He says crossing guards have reported drivers that drive too fast in school zones. He urges drivers to be conscious and alert when they are driving in school zones because ultimately kids’ safety is at stake. Last week was Adult School Crossing Guard Recognition Week in Wisconsin.
Mascoutin Valley Beverage Trail Will Be Focus Of Discover Wisconsin
The Ripon area got great exposure from the Around the Corner with John McGivern program on Wisconsin Public Television and will get some more in the upcoming months. “We’ve got another TV program coming up at the end of March that is going to focus on the Ripon area as well focusing on the Mascoutin Valley Craft Beverage Trail. So were are going to highlight some of those producers.” Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Mansmith says the Discover Wisconsin TV program will be doing a segment on the Trail. It’s a self-guided experience that includes visiting the Knuth Brewing Company and Vines & Rushes Winery in Ripon and the Rushford Meadery & Winery and Hendricks Family Distillery in Omro. Some restaurants are also participating in the Trail.
Oshkosh School District Grant
The Oshkosh Area School District recently was awarded grant funds to to continue development of teachers that focus on educating bilingual and English as a Second Language students. The District partnered with school districts in Appleton and Menasha, and the UW-Oshkosh to get a Wisconsin Fast Forward Teacher Training and Development Grant. The $112,422 grant from the state’s Department of Workforce Development will be used to train up to 20 current teachers and paraprofessional teachers.
Free Income Tax Preparation
Starting today senior citizens in the Ripon area can sign up for AARP’s free tax clinics at the Ripon Senior Center. Senior Center Director Noreen Johnson says they will be signing up residents for basic income tax preparation. “So they will do sample tax refunds for people for free and the clinics will be on Tuesdays, and I’m not sure on which Tuesdays yet but they will be on Tuesdays in February and March.”
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