Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 9/25/20
25 September 2020 News
Wisconsin COVID Case Increase Concerning
A member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says as a state we should be concerned with how the numbers of positive cases have escalated over the past few months. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says according to one source of data per capita Wisconsin has the third most recent daily cases in the nation. “We’ve got three states per capita the worst places in the country where we’ve got the spread of the disease is North Dakota, South Dakota and then Wisconsin. We’ve got 1,800 new cases per day and we’ve 32 cases per 100,000 people.” He says it has gotten so bad in Winnebago County that their health department issued a statement last week about people not participating in wearing masks, social distancing, and disregard for quarantine and isolation recommendations.
Dense Fog Advisory
The National Weather Service has issued a Dense Fog Advisory for parts of northern and Central Wisconsin. Among the counties in the advisory are Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties until 8 am. The fog could be dense and reduce the visibility to well under a quarter mile at times, especially north and west of the Fox Valley.
Ripon Schools Restart
The Ripon Area School District has been able to stick to its restart plan while other nearby districts have had to go to virtual learning because of the pandemic. Ripon Schools Superintendent Mary Whitrocks says they do have a process for when a student tests positive for COVID-19. “Well our process is that if there is a positive case and we are notified either by parents or the county we do an extensive contact tracking list to see who may this person may have been close to. Closer than six feet, for more than 15 minutes, with or without a mask you end up on the list.” She says those who have been in closer contact would then be quarantined for 14 days. Whitrock is also concerned about the toll the pandemic is taking on their teachers with more students in classrooms for face-to-face instruction and a heavier workload for when they do have to instruct via virtual learning.
Oshkosh Man Charged With Robbery And Retail Theft
An Oshkosh man is facing charges in Dodge County for allegedly stealing two dehumidifiers from the Menard’s Store in Beaver Dam and threatening to shoot an employee that confronted him. Donnie McKenzie then fled in a vehicle heading north on Highway 151. He was eventually stopped by a Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputy. Bond was set at $1,500 cash and McKenzie has a preliminary hearing next month. He told investigators he needed money and heard that the stores in Beaver Dam were easy to steal from.
Juveniles Responsible For Damage To RR Property
Two juveniles in Columbia County are being referred to juvenile intake for causing thousands of dollars in damage to property owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Sheriff’s officials say evidence was collected at the scene near Mohr Road in the Town of Fountain Prairie and witnesses were interviewed. The juveniles confessed and a search warrant for a residence led to the recovery of more evidence. Criminal damage and trespass charges are being referred against the two.
Unemployment Rates Improving
Unemployment rates improved in Wisconsin last month with declining rates in 71 of the state’s 72 counties. According to federal labor statistics Fond du Lac County in August fell to 4.7 percent from 6 percent in July. There were similar declines elsewhere with Green Lake County at 4.6 percent, Dodge and Waushara counties both at 4.9 percent, Winnebago County was at 5.1 percent, Waupaca County at 5.2 percent, and Marquette County at 5.4 percent. Jobless rates for the cities of Fond du Lac and Oshkosh both stood at 5.3 percent in August. Rates were still higher than a year ago in August when most counties had unemployment rates below 4 percent.
To read more click here.
Oshkosh Schools Receive Federal Grant
The Oshkosh Area School District has been awarded a $375,000 Federal Department of Justice Grant. Oshkosh Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright says the funds will allow them to improve school security infrastructure and further partner with local law enforcement agencies to ensure students, staff, and schools remain safe. With the grant funds the district will be able to purchase a new digital intercom system at both Oshkosh North and Oshkosh West high schools, facility mapping software and portable hand-held metal detectors. Intercom systems at all district middle and high schools will also be enhanced.
Harvest Fest In Green Lake This Weekend
Green Lake’s Harvest Fest celebrates its 32nd year this weekend with a number of activities. Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lisa Beck says some things will be different because of the pandemic. For example craft vendors will be spread out and there will be no beverage tent. They are also asking people to wear face masks. The bulk of activities will be in downtown Green Lake Saturday and Sunday. Beck says the parade is at 4 pm tomorrow. Bingo will be outside under a big tent, there will be live entertainment and Sunday the duck race at 1 pm and the car show. Beck says things kick off tonight at 5:30 pm at the Town Square Tap with an Oktoberfest celebration. A complete list of activities is available at the visitgreenlake.com website.
Share |