Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 10/23/20
23 October 2020 News
Second Walk Away From Columbia County Jail
For the second time in less than a week the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a walk away from its jail. Kirk Curtis, who has Huber privileges, failed to return from work on Wednesday. Curtis was serving a probation sentence. He has a previous conviction for felon in possession of a firearm, and was out on bond on felony theft and vehicle theft charges. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office at 608-742-4166. Monday 27-year-old Amanda Montroy failed to return to the jail from her place of work.
Beaver Dam Woman Sentenced In Boy Friend’s Death
The 24-year-old Beaver Dam woman that drove drunk during a traffic crash that killed her boyfriend has been sentenced to 6 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision. Cindy Lara Esparza was sentenced in Dodge County court Thursday on a homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle charge. In April of last year 23-year-old Jared Frakes was killed when Esparza drove off the Madison Street Bridge in Beaver Dam. She suffered non-life threatening injuries when her vehicle ended up upside down in the river, but Frakes died in the crash. A blood test put her alcohol level at more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit.
Waupun City Budget
Waupun’s Common Council got an update this week on the 2021 City Budget. The Council is considering a $3.3 million tax levy or about $108,000 more than this past year. City Administrator Kathy Schlieve says they’ve been waiting on the state to release assessed values before they reveal a preliminary tax rate. Those figures are expected to come out today. Last year’s tax rates were $7.59 for property owners on the Dodge County side of Waupun and $7.69 for those on the Fond du Lac County side. The budget is expected be adopted at the Common Council’s November 10th meeting.
COVID Makes No Distinction Over Political Parties
A member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says the political divide over the coronavirus in this country is one reason why we are seeing exploding infection rates. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says one side has people wearing masks and sitting in cars at political rallies, while the other has thousands attending their rallies and many are not wearing face masks. He says the disease doesn’t distinguish between political parties it just keeps on spreading. “And what we need to do is get away from the political talk about this. This is going to kill you whether you are Republican or Democrat. If you’re going to die of this it doesn’t matter if you Democrat or Republican and we need to get past that.” Wisconsin is considered a battleground state in the Presidential election and has seen a number of visits from the candidates and their families many hosting large events.
Take Stock Of Your Prescription Drugs
The Ripon Opioid Initiative Coordinator urges parents and grandparents to take stock of their medicine cabinets and places they keep their prescription drugs. Alex Berg of Drug Free Communities of Fond du Lac County says in the county 53 percent of youth who misuse prescription medications get them from their parents or in their homes or medicine cabinets. She says especially with more people staying at home during the pandemic it is a good time to take stock of the prescription medicines you have. “Make sure you’re keeping an eye on your medications even your alcohol at home and monitoring them and making sure they are secure and so if somebody is bored and they are rifling stuff they are not like oh let me try this or oh what does this do.” Many teens and young adults believe the prescription medicines are safer to abuse than illegal drugs and are easier to get. Many law enforcement agencies will participate in drug take back events across the state tomorrow. Such an event was already held in Ripon Wednesday.
Ripon Veterans Day Program
Ripon’s annual Veteran’s Day Program will be featured on the Ripon Area School District’s Facebook page on Wednesday, November 11th. Normally its hosted by the Ripon High School FFA and sponsored by American Legion Post 43 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5278. Due to the current pandemic legion members, VFW members, veterans and their families, and the general public are being invited to enjoy the video premiere of the Veterans Day Remembrance and Observation Program on November 11th. Watch the District’s Facebook page for more details.
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