Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 10/16/20
16 October 2020 News
Thanksgiving Gatherings Problematic During COVID Outbreak
A member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says we need to heed the advice of Dr. Anthony Fauci about carefully considering our Thanksgiving gatherings. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says depending on the size of your family you may have people coming to the traditional dinner from different parts of the country where the rate of infection for the coronavirus is higher. He notes Wisconsin currently has the fourth highest infection rate per capita in the U.S. He says his family is carefully considering their Thanksgiving. “But these are people who will come from around the state and come to one place and all you need is one person who picked it up unknowingly at work and you don’t show symptoms for maybe four or five days so they come feeling great, give everybody in the room COVID while you’re sitting around the Thanksgiving table breathing over the turkey.” He says if you are going to serve up a traditional Thanksgiving meal people should be wearing face masks and consider multiple tables to allow for more social distancing.
Ripon Schools Operational Referendum On November Ballot
Ripon School District voters will be asked to approve an operational referendum on the November ballot. Similar to two previous referendums passed by voters it will ask for $500,000 a year for 6 years to help with costs. District Superintendent Mary Whitrock says it is very important to the health of the district. “The current operational referendum that we have, which we are asking voters to extend for an additional 6 years, helps to really put the district in a strong financial position so we don’t have to do short term borrowing, lease computers and do some of those things that don’t make as much financial sense.” A survey sent out to district residents this summer showed most would support an operational referendum, but there was less support to increase taxes toward an endowment fund for Ingalls Field.
Ripon Common Council Approves Administrator Recruitment Option
The Ripon Common Council this week chose a schedule for the recruitment process for the next City Administrator and set a salary range. Representatives of the firm they hired for the process, Public Administration Associates LLC of Whitewater, gave the Council a presentation on the schedule options and talked about the process for recruitment. The option chosen by the Council would have the finalists come to Ripon for interviews and assessments with the Council, City staff, and the community the week of January 25th. The Council also agreed on a salary range of $85,000 to $115,000 a year which will make the city competitive with other communities its size. Ripon City Administrator Lori Rich will be retiring on April 7th.
Beaver Dam Man Sentenced For Injuring Police Officers
A 27-year-old Beaver Dam man who injured two Beaver Dam police officers during an incident in September of last year has been sentenced by a Dodge County judge to 3 ½ years in prison and 8 years of extended supervision. Watertown Police arrested Jesse Garcia for operating while intoxicated and resisting officers. Almost immediately after he was released and while still drunk he got into his vehicle and drove to Beaver Dam. When Beaver Dam Police Officers pulled him over Garcia began reaching for a knife and an officer had to break a window and pull him out of the vehicle and escort him to the ground. The officer was injured during the incident and Garcia head-butted a second officer twice, once in the forehead and once in the jaw injuring that officer too.
Former FDL Fire Division Chief Named New Portage Fire Chief
A former Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue Division Chief has been named the new Fire Chief in Portage. The city of Portage and its Police and Fire Commission Thursday announced the selection of Troy Haase as its next fire chief. He will succeed Fire Chief Clayton Simonson who is retiring in 2021 after 16 years as chief. Haase has 30 years of experience in fire service, 22 of those years with Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue.
Congressman Grothman Advises Talking Up Success On Cutting Down Illegal Immigration
Congressman Glenn Grothman was among those attending Vice President Mike Pence’s appearance in Waukesha this week. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says he got a few minutes to talk to Pence and urged him to talk more about the differences between Trump and Former Vice President Joe Biden on immigration particularly illegal immigration. Grothman notes under President Trump illegal immigration has been greatly decreased. He says the rate of illegal immigration could change drastically under Biden and Kamala Harris who are talking about free health care for everyone and even paying COVID-19 stimulus money to illegal immigrants. “The difference between letting about 5,000 people in this country who we aren’t picking to 105,000 people without picking. I mean this country is going to change a lot when you have two ‘immigration for everybody not pay attention borders’ people like Biden and Harris.” Grothman would also like to see Pence and Trump talk about how they have reduced American Troop casualties in Afghanistan to zero in the past eight months.
FDL County Selected For Broadband Connectors Pilot Program
Fond du Lac County is one of six communities across Wisconsin selected for the state’s new Broadband Connectors Pilot program. Governor Tony Evers says, “As families, business owners and communities across the state continue to face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for affordable, accessible high-speed broadband is perhaps more important now than ever.” The joint pilot program will help provide technical assistance to help these communities apply for federal, state, and private-sector broadband expansion funds. Other communities picked for the program include; Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians; Ho-Chunk Nation; School District of Owen-Withee; Town of Cross and St. Croix County.
Times Established For Drug Take Back Program In Ripon
Times have been established for the Drive Up and Drop Off of old and unused prescription drugs in Ripon next Wednesday. Residents can drop them off in ziplock type bags at the Ripon Senior Center from 8:30 to 9:30 that morning, the Russell Manor parking lot from 9:45 to 10:45, and Willow Brook Apartments parking lot from 10:45 to 11:45 am. The Ripon Police Department and Ripon Opioid Initiative, part of the Drug Free Communities of Fond du Lac County are hosting the Drive Up and Drop Off. There are two permanent drug drop off boxes in Ripon, located at the police department and Ripon Medical Center.
Share |