Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 7/1/21
1 July 2021 News
House Fire Reported In Ripon
The Ripon Area Fire District responded to a house fire in the 200 block of Eureka Street Monday night. No one was injured during the blaze, but five people living in the home at 204 ½ Eureka Street were displaced by the fire. Fire Chief Tim Saul says the fire left the home uninhabitable for the three adults and two children living there. Family and friends and the Red Cross are providing assistance to the victims of the fire. Saul says the fire does not appear suspicious and was likely caused by discarded smoking materials from cigarettes. The time of the fire call was shortly after 8 pm.
Iron Ridge Man Going To Prison For Unlawful Use Of The Phone And Disorderly Conduct
A 43-year-old Iron Ridge man who used a telephone to harass his probation agent was sentenced in Dodge County court Wednesday to two years in prison and two years of extended supervision. Bobbi Buechel learned his probation agent had issued a warrant for his arrest for threatening to assault his former wife’s boyfriend. On February 20th of 2019 Buechel called that agent over 30 times in a matter of minutes and when the agent and the agent’s supervisor picked up the phone Buechel screamed profanities into the phone threatened the agent and hinted he was in the vicinity of their office. Buechel is a career criminal with 20 criminal convictions since 1995 with some of that related to domestic abuse.
Oshkosh Marijuana Ordinance
A member of the Oshkosh City Council is drafting an ordinance that would decriminalize the use of smaller amounts of marijuana. Aaron Wojciechowski says the ordinance would be for possession and legal limits within the scope of what local government can do. He would have preferred action at the state level, but an item in the state budget to decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana was removed. He says his ordinance would be fashioned after one recently passed in Madison, but more appropriate to Oshkosh. The Oshkosh City Council could vote on the proposed ordinance by the end of the summer.
Rosendale Brandon Recall Effort Dropped
A petition circulated in the Rosendale-Brandon School District attempting to recall longtime school board members who voted in favor of closing the Brandon Middle School was dropped. District Superintendent Wayne Weber says they learned a few days before the deadline for the petition that the petitioner was dropping the effort because they wouldn’t be able to reach their goal of the 662 signatures needed to force a recall election of board members Jenni Riedeman and Craig Mulder. The signature deadline was June 7th. Riedeman and Mulder voted in the majority in a 6 to 3 vote that closed the school due to dwindling attendance.
Dallman Votes For State Budget Passage
State Representative Alex Dallman joined his Assembly colleagues this week in passing the state budget. The state lawmaker from Green Lake pointed out some of the highlights including $1 million in Wisconsin Initiative for agricultural exports and $200,000 for farmer mental health assistance programming. The budget also includes $100 million in funding for local roads, $25 million more than proposed by the Governor, and nearly $130 million for broadband expansion. The budget also provides a $3.4 billion tax cut for Wisconsin families that would save the typical family an average of $1,200 in income and property tax relief.
Delta Variant Concerns
With the Delta variant of COVID-19 infecting one in four people testing positive for the virus, some states are returning to mask wearing and other precautions as vaccinations fall off. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says the state’s at most risk are those where residents for one reason or another are not getting vaccinated. “The big concern is where people have not been embracing and getting vaccinated. That’s where the biggest risk is going to be.” He points out that 80 percent of those that received the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose regimen of vaccine will not contract the disease, but the vaccine will keep those who do from being hospitalized or from losing their lives.
Famous Thrasher Opera House Window Restored
The window prominent in the Thrasher Opera House logo has been restored to its original historical significance. When officials in Green Lake were trying to get the opera house on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 they learned from the State Historical Society the window was not the original and didn’t actually meet the requirements the rest of the building did in being restored. Actually it was bought at a garage sale. Thrasher Executive Director Rachael Avery says a new window is being installed this month that is historically correct. “There a historic window, the round window, when you look on the outside of the Opera House we are finally getting it restored to be historically correct and installing the new window this month for all to see.” She says an anonymous donor made it possible. The reveal will be on Thursday, July 29th when the Thrasher will have an open house and grand reopening. Avery says everyone is welcome to attend the open house.
Oshkosh Bus Service Will Not Run Monday
Oshkosh city officials tell us the GO Transit bus service will not be operating next Monday due to recognition of the Independence Day holiday. Go Transit’s bus service will resume operations on Tuesday. Go Transit’s office at 926 Dempsey Trail will be closed on July 5th as well. For more information visit the GO Transit website or call (920) 232-5340.
Poy Sippi BBQ Returns
The Poy Sippi Volunteer Fire Department will fire up the chicken pit early the morning of the Fourth of July to cook up 1,100 plates of Chicken BBQ. The pandemic cancelled the event at the park in the Poy Sippi last year, but it makes a triumphant return at 11 am that morning with plates going for $11 each. Jennifer Hahn is the event organizer and a member of the department that provides both fire and medical rescue services. She says this year they are hoping to raise enough money to equip 6 of their 43 members with the gear they need for calls. “So every so many years we have to re-gear firefighters with new equipment and this is the year we are going to do that. So this will go to pay for jackets, pants, boots, helmets and all of that gear to set one firefighter up costs us approximately $7,500.” She notes the BBQ has been going on for 45 years now. In addition to the dinner there will be a 50/50 raffle and the popular duck race.
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