Hometown Broadcasting News Monday 10/11/21
11 October 2021 News
FDL High School Student Charged
Charges have been brought against a Fond du Lac High School student involved in a fight at the high school last week. Seventeen-year-old James Baemmert, who now lists a Milwaukee address as his main residence, made his initial appearance in Fond du Lac County court Friday. He is facing five charges 4 misdemeanors, and a felony charge of battery or threat to a judge, prosecutor or law enforcement officer. He was released on a $2,500 signature bond and will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on October 22nd. According to the criminal complaint the teen threatened to kill a school resource officer. Last week’s fight resulted in the suspension and possible expulsion of nine students. Nobody was seriously injured.
Vaccine Clinic Registration Clarification
Officials with the Fond du Lac County Health Department say when residents pre-register for Friday’s drive through Pfizer Vaccine Booster clinic they do not need to select a location. Since the Cow Palace at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds in Fond du Lac is a temporary clinic site, there are no appointments. Individuals may receive a follow up email from the registration system encouraging them to schedule and appointment at a vaccine location. The email can be disregarded. Pre-registration is encouraged, which can be done at vaccine.wi.gov. The clinic will run from 10 am to 6 pm or until the capacity has been met.
Markesan Proud Of Sailor’s Sacrifice
The Markesan Community is proud to have one of their own killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor returned to them after nearly 80 years. Navy Petty Officer First Class Keefe Connolly was serving on the U.S.S. Oklahoma when he lost his life in an attack that brought the United States into World War II. His body has been identified and will be returned to the community on November 6th. Burial will be at the Markesan Cemetery on November 8th. Markesan Police Chief Will Pflum says Connolly has a sister in her 90’s and some other relatives. He says she was overwhelmed by the recent news. Pflum says everyone wants to chip in and make sure the community does its best honoring Connolly and they have heard from a number of people from outside Markesan including those who had relatives that had served around that time or knew the family.
Budget Concerns
While Ripon City Administrator Adam Sonntag was briefing the Common Council last week on the proposed 2022 City Budget he also warned them that some tough decisions will have to be made in the future. He said the City will have to look at leasing versus buying when getting vehicles for its fleet in the future. He said the DPW can’t drive around in rusted trucks and this year will have to replace 2 F150 trucks. Other things he said the city needs to contemplate is alternative sources of revenue down the road including a transportation utility or wheel tax. He also cautioned the Council that the city will see a big turnover in employees in the next few years unless it committed to higher wages and benefits. He said that turnover would be just in supervisors or administrative positions.
Congressman Grothman Hosting Town Hall Meetings Today
Congressman Glenn Grothman will be holding two town hall meetings in the 6th Congressional District today. He will be at the Coloma Village Hall in Coloma from 10:30 to 11:30 this morning and the Randolph Village Hall in Randolph from 1:30 to 2:30 this afternoon. Anyone that would like to speak to him about federal government issues is welcome to attend.
COVID Running In Cycles
Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force member Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says health experts have been predicting a decline in the number of new cases and hospitalizations coming in the next few weeks, but he says that may be wishful thinking. He says there does seem to be a pattern that there is a decline in the disease then an uptick every two months. He says common sense tells us when there are more people outside during the summer months there should have been a decline, but instead numbers rose. He says while numbers seem to be declining would be a good time for people to take advantage of the situation and get vaccinated if they have not been already.
Mental Health Grant
A $75,000 grant will help the Ripon Area School District with its mental health efforts. Ripon Schools Superintendent Mary Whitrock says they have a mental health navigator that helps supervise those efforts. She says that’s includes teaching kids about behaviors in the classroom, small group guidance counseling, retreats and other efforts. She says it is also importance to stay on top of guidance counseling and what topics are still relevant for students as stressors have changed over the years.
State Representative Dallman Backs Workforce Housing Bill
State Representative Alex Dallman Thursday joined several of his Assembly colleagues for a press conference to announce a bill package that will work to address the workforce shortage in Wisconsin. He is the lead author of a bill which would create a certified “shovel ready” workforce housing development sit program through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. The state lawmaker from Green Lake says in talking with citizens, contractors and business owners throughout the 41st State Assembly District, he was made aware of the extreme shortage of workforce housing. He says the bills in the package will help to alleviate the shortage and will create a better environment for local businesses, schools and local economies to succeed
Oshkosh City Website Recognized
National Research Center at Polco and the International City & County Management Association have announced the city of Oshkosh as the Finalist for the Voice of the People Award for Excellence in Online Outreach. The Voice of the People Awards are the only national awards that honor local governments based on improving communities through excellent online resident engagement. Oshkosh’s application demonstrated a commitment to best practices in engaging the community online. Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff says, “We appreciate this recognition for our efforts, and we will continue to seek new opportunities for community outreach.”
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