Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 6/12/20
12 June 2020 News
Ripon Common Council Discusses Keeping Chickens
Discussion about whether the City of Ripon should allow residents to keep chickens in their backyards will continue at a future meeting. Council member Jolene Schatzinger requested the subject be placed on the Council’s agenda for discussion this past week and it was discussed at some length. Several Council members said they had been contacted by residents and most were opposed to the idea. But Council members also made suggestions for a proposed ordinance draft that would make the idea more palatable. The number of chickens kept, possible predators like rats, foxes and coyotes they might draw, noise levels, waste and other concerns were brought up. Mayor Ted Grant had fashioned a draft for a possible ordinance based on ordinances from other communities that allow chickens to be kept.
Returning To School No Piece Of Cake
Schools, colleges, and daycare centers will have some tough challenges for those who have students returning in the fall. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says it will take careful planning to keep kids and staff safe from the pandemic and practice social distancing. He says for instance it will be difficult for students wearing face masks at Barlow Park Elementary where social/emotional learning is used. “Barlow Park is going to social/emotional learning next year where it is about playing and reading each other’s emotions and feelings and responding in kind. Covering up three-quarters of your face makes it really hard to read someone’s emotions.” He says with the social distancing component learning may take a combination of both in the classroom and virtual learning. The Fond du Lac County Health Department is putting out some guidelines to help schools, colleges and daycare centers in their planning.
Jobs News Varies Week To Week
Congressman Glenn Grothman says he’s not surprised 2.5 million new jobs were reported last week. He says there are jobs available that people can apply for particularly in the manufacturing sector. “One of the major complaints I get as I get around Fond du Lac as I get around my district is we need more workers. So I’m sure if you want a job out there now is the time to be looking.” The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says on the other hand he knows the pandemic has hurt businesses like restaurants that aren’t seeing the same level of business now that they are open again. This week’s job news wasn’t as kind with 1.5 million Americans filing initial claims for unemployment.
Diverse Options Annual Golf Outing Cancelled
The Diverse Options Foundation has cancelled its annual fundraising golf outing at the Golf Courses of Lawsonia scheduled for Wednesday, August 19th. This would have been the 27th year for the “Midweek Break” Community Golf Classic that raises funds to support opportunities for over 350 individuals with varying abilities in east central Wisconsin. Diverse Options CEO Al Schraeder says the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected so many people and businesses who normally attend the event and provide financial support and donations. He says to ask them to do so during such uncertain times is something they did not feel right about. The outing will return in 2021.
Cookie Daze Cancellation Was Not An Easy Decision
The executive director of the Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce says it wasn’t easy to cancel this summer’s Cookie Daze given the event was coming up on its 25th anniversary this year. Jason Mansmith says given the number of kids and adults that attend the annual event at Barlow Park social distancing for the COVID-19 pandemic would have been at best very difficult. “It’s a really tough event to kind of manage social distancing. If you’ve been to that event you know the amount of people that are there, you know the amount of kids that are there and you know the close proximity that everyone is together.” He says they will reevaluate the event like they do with all events to see if it is still providing value to the community and determine if there is a way to make it better. Cookie Daze had been scheduled for August 1st.
Johnson Amendment Would Delist Wolf
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson is continuing his push to have the gray wolf delisted as an endangered species in the Western Great Lakes region. The bipartisan amendment to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 he introduced this week would restore the gray wolf to the status determined to be appropriate by the Department of Interior wildlife experts in 2011, and allow the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to develop a wolf population management program. Johnson says many northern Wisconsin residents have problems with the wolves and the amendment would allow wolf management plans to be used. Senator Tammy Baldwin is among the cosponsors.
Oshkosh Police Awarded Grant To Help With K9 Medical Bills
The Oshkosh Police Department has been awarded a grant from the National Police Dog Foundation for their K9 Odin. Odin has had a medical issue that required a minor surgery. He has recovered and is back on duty. Odin is teamed with Officer Brad Fox. To help cover the medical costs associated with Odin’s surgery, the Oshkosh Police Department applied for a grant through the National Police Dog Foundation. The grant will help to pay for Odin’s medical bills.
Spring Turkey Hunting Success
Wisconsin turkey hunters registered nearly 45,000 (44,963) birds during the spring turkey hunting season. Department of Natural Resources officials say that’s a nearly 17 percent increase from the 38,576 birds registered during the 2019 hunt. The 2020 youth season resulted in a total of 2,880 birds registered, up 47 percent from 1,953 birds in 2019. The harvest increased significantly across all zones and time periods. The 2020 spring turkey season represents the highest harvest since 2016 and the second-highest harvest since 2010.
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