Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 1/6/22
6 January 2022 News
Powerball Winners In Wisconsin And California
Wisconsin has a new multimillion or maybe more after winning tickets for last night’s $632.6 million Powerball jackpot were sold in the state and in California. The winners will split that jackpot each winner getting $326.3 million. They will have their choice of receiving that amount as an annuity or $225.1 million in a lump sum before taxes. The winning ticket in California was sold in Sacramento at a 7-Eleven. We don’t know yet where the winning ticket was sold in Wisconsin. The jackpot for Wednesday’s game was the seventh largest in the drawing’s history. The winning numbers were 6, 14, 25, 33, 46 and the Powerball was 17. Saturday’s jackpot will start over at $20 million.
ThedaCare Visitor Restrictions Extended
With COVID-19 cases continuing to increase ThedaCare is extending heightened visitor restrictions and safety precautions to allow team members to care for communities, while minimizing the potential for exposure. Screeners will continue to be present at all ThedaCare hospitals, checking patients, visitors and team members upon entrance. Masks will be required by all team members, patients and visitors in any public setting on ThedaCare campuses. That includes hallways, cafeterias, elevators, waiting rooms and all clinical areas. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided. Restrictions remain in place at hospitals in Appleton, Berlin, Neenah, New London, Shawano, Waupaca and Wild Rose. No visitors will be allowed for COVID patients and only one for non-COVID patients.
New Hours For Ripon COVID Testing
Officials with the Fond du Lac County Health Department tell us hours for COVID-19 testing on Tuesdays at Alliance Laundry Systems parking lot in Ripon have been updated to 10 am to 4 pm. The testing done in conjunction with Accelerated Clinical Laboratories is also available Mondays and Thursdays from 8 am to 4:30 pm at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds in Fond du Lac. No appointments, insurance or identification is required. More information is available at the Fond du Lac County website.
Publisher’s Clearing House Scam
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents after a citizen got a call Wednesday advising him he had won a new BMW and check in the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes and a driver was on the way to deliver them. The man said the caller had a strong “Jamaican” accent so he requested a call back number. He was given a phone number with the 920 area code and when he called back he was told he had reached Publisher’s Clearing House. He didn’t supply any information to the scammer. When a deputy called the same number he heard lots of noise in the background and believed he had reached a call center. He asked for the name of the person who answered and he was told “Catch Me If You Can” and was then hung up on. Sheriff’s officials say the scammer was likely phishing for personal information or would have asked for a “fee” or “tax” to get the imaginary car and check.
Ripon Common Council And School Board Races
The Ripon Common Council will have a few new faces following next April’s spring election. Mayor Ted Grant is seeking reelection with no opposition. Seats in all four districts for the Council are up for election. The only candidate in District 1 is Ellen Sorensen co-owner of Dear Prudence and President of the League of Women Voters of the Ripon Area. Incumbent Jim Werch is not running for reelection. In District 2 Jonathan Gatske who was appointed to the Council following Ben Morrison’s resignation is unopposed. In District 3 incumbent Howard Hanson is being challenged by former Council member Annette Klein. In District 4 there are three candidates; Mike Boscaljon, and former Council members Ben Morrison and Doug Iverson. Longtime incumbent Al Schrader is not seeking reelection.
In the Ripon School Board election Betsy Heffernan, Gary Rodman, and Nate Zimdars are running for reelection. They are unopposed.
Public Input Sought On Pair Of Green Lake County State Highway Projects
Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation is seeking public input on a pair of state highway projects in Green Lake County. State Highway 23 at the State Highway 73 and Pye Alley Road intersection will be improved in 2024. Meanwhile proposed improvements to State Highway 73, between State Highway 44 North and State Highway 23 South in Princeton is scheduled for construction in 2025, but could occur as early as summer of 2024 in conjunction with the project at the State Highway 23 and State Highway 73 and Pye Alley Road intersection. The DOT has project websites for both projects that the public can comment on through February 2nd.
COVID Protections
A member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says vaccines and boosters give us added protection against the coronavirus, but initial suggestions like wearing face masks and social distancing are still good advice. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says one point of contention is whether Omicron and the Delta variant is the dominant strain of the disease right now. Meanwhile there have been reports about other variants elsewhere in the world, but Puhlmann-Becker says those multiple variants don’t seem to be going anywhere. He says we could be doing better as far as the number of people in the state that are vaccinated in Wisconsin. Just over 58 percent of the population has completed their series of shots for COVID-19.
Emergency Zone Protection
A bill State Senator Joan Ballweg backed creates roadside emergency zones similar to the protection highway construction crews are provided but for those responding to accidents or calls for roadside assistance. The bill was signed into law by Governor Evers. Ballweg says a couple of tragic accidents in the 14th State Senate District helped inspire the bill. She says a firefighter from the Endeavour-Moundsville Fire Department was hit and killed by a motorist who was using a hand held device to video the accident that the firefighter was working on. Another accident on an Interstate involved a Lake Delton-Dells’ firefighter that was struck by a car and was injured. The bill provides for penalties of up to $10,000 in fines and 9 months in jail.
Worker Relocation Incentive Program
The director of business services for Envision Greater Fond du Lac says six employers so far have taken advantage of their Worker Relocation Incentive Program. Bernadette Ericksen says beyond the current worker shortage they are also looking at a good portion of the workforce retiring over the next 10 years. About 25 percent of the population in the county will be over the age of 65 in the next 10 years so this is a tool that they came up with for employers. The way the program works employers can offer potential employees from outside of the county up to $15,000 in incentives to relocate and work in the county. Ericksen says if an employee continues to work and live in the county for at least a year the employer will get half of that incentive back through the program. She says they have a pool of $300,000 in funds to back the program, which should last them quite a while.
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