Hometown Broadcasting News Monday 1/27/20
27 January 2020 News
Community Sessions Scheduled For Referendum Planning
The Ripon Area School District’s Board of Education will be holding four community engagement sessions about an operational referendum that will go before voters in November. The sessions will be February 3rd and 12th and March 2nd and 30th at the Ripon High School from 6 to 7:30 pm. The current operational referendum for an additional $500,000 a year ends next year. The district has had two operational referendums over the past 11 years to combat the loss of over $9 million in funding due to budget restrictions at the state level. Following the sessions work on the referendum will continue with a community survey in April, results of that survey shared in May, development of the referendum question June 15th, and the board voting on the specific question for the ballot on July 20th. The election is on November 3rd.
Ripon Common Council Preview
The Ripon Common Council tonight will continue discussions about the Tygert and State Street bridges and how previous councils dealt with them. The Council will also review previous discussions about the Haas Brewery Stable. In 2012 the Council amended a city ordinance that allows the Council to give historical designation to a property even though it doesn’t have state or federal historical designation. They still would have needed the owner’s permission. In October of 2014 the council tabled the item. The Council meets at 7 pm at the Ripon City Hall.
Appleton Man Facing Vehicular Homicide Charges In Columbia County
Vehicular homicide charges have been brought against a 34-year-old Appleton man for a multi-vehicle crash near Columbus last May. Benjamin Birney allegedly had marijuana in his system when his Freightliner straight truck failed to reduce its speed in a construction zone on Highway 151. His truck crashed into five vehicles. Two people in a pickup truck were seriously injured and a third, 38-year-old David Bickel of Mukwonago died. Birney made his initial appearance in Columbia County court last week on charges stemming from the May 14th accident. He was released on a $500 signature bond and returns to court next month for a pre-trial conference.
Lawsuit Being Filed Over Sheboygan Boy’s Death
The mother of a nine-year-old Sheboygan boy who was hit and killed by a garbage truck last October is suing the city. Roman Martin was hit by the truck while bicycling to school. His mother and her attorney chose to go to court after the city turned down her claim for $250,000. They contend new evidence from the county medical examiner’s office shows the garbage truck driver was to blame. An investigation by the State Patrol found the driver wasn’t at fault. The medical examiner’s office also ruled the death accidental, but Medical Examiner Chris Nehring believes Martin was hit in the crosswalk and his body was pushed outside of it by the garbage truck.
Social Security Scam
Markesan Police are warning residents about another variation on the Social Security Scam. Residents have been receiving calls about their Social Security numbers in which the caller poses as a processor of summons or warrants telling you that you have to appear in court. They are trying to get you to call them back so they can try to get your personal information and to tell you that you can settle the matter by paying them. Police say the caller may also spoof local numbers to fool those with caller ID so the ID comes up looking like it is local or official.
Dark Store Loophole Continues
State Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling says closing the ‘Dark Store Loophole” would restore tax fairness. The loophole allows big box retailers to challenge their property tax assessments claiming they should be assessed the same as a vacant business in another location. It is costing cities millions of dollars and shifting the property tax burden onto other taxpayers. Shilling says Senate Republicans blocked another attempt to end the loophole this past week. “And we just have been thwarted every time we have tried to bring that up. Are most recent attempt was Tuesday of this week it was voted down along party lines and it really is time to restore that tax fairness and close the loophole.” Governor Evers also tried to close the loophole by including a provision in the state budget, but Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee removed it the first day of budget deliberations.
Radon Test Kits Available
Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller is recommending residents test their homes for the presence of radon gas. She says you cannot detect it without a test kit. “Take this as a friendly reminder that radon it is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas and so the only way to know if you have high levels of radon in your house is to test it.” Radon enters your home through cracks in the foundation, openings around joints and pipes, and dirty floors. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon gas put you at risk of developing lung cancer. Through this month short-term radon test kits will be available at the County Health Department in Fond du Lac for $5. Test kits are also available through your local city or town clerk. January is Radon Action Month.
Driver Distractions
During a recent discussion about school zone traffic safety Ripon Police Chief Bill Wallner brought up driver distraction. He feels drivers have enough to concentrate on without adding a cell phone into the mix. “You know if you sat down with a note pad and you wrote out every little task that you have to do as your driving down the road from turning your car on to pushing your brakes and your gas, looking out your left and your right, checking your mirrors driving down the road and then you add in a cell phone with that.” Wallner says when you’re behind the wheel what you do can affect the safety of others.
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