Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 9/13/19
13 September 2019 News
Ripon Students Do Well In WSAS State Testing
Ripon Area School District students did better than the state average in state testing for proficiency in English Language Arts or ELA and Math during the past school year. Nearly 40 percent (39.8) of 11th Graders tested proficient and advanced in ELA compared to a 36.7 percent state average. However in Math, only 24.2 percent of those same juniors in high school were proficient or advanced compared to the state average of 29 percent. Third through eighth graders did better with 59.3 percent proficient in ELA and 60.5 percent in math compared to state averages of 40.6 percent and 43.1 percent respectively. Tests were given during the 2018-19 school year.
For your school district use the WSAS performance overview dashboard by clicking here.
Preparedness Month
Fond du Lac County Communications and Emergency Management Director Bobbi Hicken says during Preparedness Month it is a good time to make plans for how to take care of yourself and your family for up to 72 hours. She says no one saw 9/11 coming and weather is not always predictable. She urges families to make sure their child’s school knows how to contact them in the event of a disaster. “You need to sure that your school has updated information on how to get ahold of you if there is something that happens. Make sure your kids know how to get ahold of you how to communicate with you if they are separated from you.” She recommends putting together a disaster kit, having a weather radio and if you are looking for information having a radio. Hicken says a lot of people go to social media, but if you are going to do that make sure you are going to a reliable site such as law enforcement, fire or emergency management pages. September is Preparedness Month in Wisconsin.
Documentary On Father Wally Will Be Shown At Freeland Film Festival
It’s been a nice homecoming this week for a priest from Ripon who now calls Panama home. Father Wally Kasuboski grew up on a farm in Ripon, one of 13 children. In the late 1980s his calling took him to Panama. Monday he talked to Ripon Rotary Club members about his water projects in eastern Panama. Bill Boesch of the Rotary Club says thanks to those projects some homes have running tap water they can be assured is safe to drink. “So that they can go and get their own fresh water that they never had available before and its metered and they are being charged for it. The natives helped put it this in and it was a safeguard to keep them from contaminated waters that they would have.” Tomorrow morning at 10:30 at the Thrasher Opera House in Green Lake as part of the Freeland Film Festival the documentary “From Mass to the Mountain-Director’s Cut” will be shown. The feature length film focuses on Father Wally and the water projects in Panama. Father Wally and the filmmakers will participate in a question and answer session after the film.
Elimination Of Staffing At Oshkosh PD Front Desk During Morning Hours
An official with the Oshkosh Police Department says the elimination of staff at their front desk during the early morning hours has worked out well. Kate Mann is the Public Affairs and Crime Prevention Officer for the department. “It’s working out fine, so the front lobby is not staffed by a front desk worker from 2:30 to 6:30 am.” She says there are usually supervisors in the building at that time. Plus they have a phone in the lobby that will ring straight to the Sheriff’s Office for non-emergency assistance. A study last year found only a minimal number of non-emergency calls were being made and few people were walking into the lobby during those hours.
Private Well Testing
The Fond du Lac County Health Department is urging residents to get their well water tested for bacteria and nitrates. You can have that done for $25 through the department. County Health Officer Kim Mueller says wells should be tested annually for contamination. They should be tested any time you notice a change in taste, odor or color of the water. Heavy storms, flooding, heavy snowmelt or hot stagnant periods during the summer or fall can also contribute to contamination. Test kits are available at the health department on the third floor of the city-county building in Fond du Lac.
Medicare Presentation In Ripon Today
There will be a presentation in Ripon this morning on the Medicare Open Enrollment program. Fond du Lac County Elder Benefits Specialist Stephanie Treptow will be at the Senior Center at the Ripon City Hall. The presentation starts at 11:15 am and will run until about noon. She will give a presentation on changes and updates and will be able to set up appointments to assist with reviewing your plan. The Medicare Open Enrollment period runs from October 15th through December 7th.
Packer Trading Cards Available
(Markesan Police Department photo)
Police in Berlin and Markesan are handing out Green Bay Packer trading cards to kids in the community. They come in sets of 20 featuring a player and a safety message on the back. Collectable uncut sheets of the cards are given out in Markesan, but only for correct scores of Packer games. Kids that see a police officer in the two communities can flag them down if they want a set, but are asked to do so in a safe manner and when the officer is not responding to a call.
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