7/13/22 Hometown Broadcasting News Wednesday
13 July 2022 News
Powerboat Operator Charged For Collision With Riverboat
The owner and operator of the 45-foot powerboat that struck a Riverboat on the Fox River in Oshkosh last Friday night and fled the scene is being charged for the incident. Fifty-two-year-old Jason Lindemann of Oshkosh is being charged with 12 counts of second degree recklessly endangering safety and 11 counts of failure to render aid at the scene of a boat accident. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office says, “The investigation was hindered and needlessly prolonged by the fact that the powerboat fled the scene and made no attempts to report their involvement the night of the crash, or in the hours that followed.” Forty-three passengers and crew were on board the party boat that was struck. Seven suffered some form of minor injury. The paddleboat was severely damaged on the port side when the powerboat struck it.
Ripon Woman Facing Drug Charge Stemming From Accident
A 30-year-old Ripon woman arrested at the scene of a one vehicle crash in Ripon last week is facing multiple charges. Kyla Rose Ott made an initial appearance in Fond du Lac County court last Friday and was charged with four counts of felony bail jumping, a felony count of possession of methamphetamine, and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. According to the criminal complaint the accident happened last Thursday at Liberty and Cedar Streets. A police officer found Ott in the driver seat of a crashed U-Haul. Ott was described as being lethargic, her pupils were dilated, and she was not making much sense. At one point she fell asleep. Ott told the officer she had used methamphetamine in the past 24 hours, but had not recently used heroin. While ambulance personnel were placing heart monitor pads on her, they recovered a bag of small crystal rocks and powder in her bra. The bag was tested and came back positive for the presence of methamphetamine. During her court appearance last Friday bond was set at $1,000 cash and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for September 9th.
Fatal Accident Victim Identified
The 31-year-old Ripon man killed in a single vehicle accident on July 3rd in Green Lake County has been identified. Nicholas Reilly’s vehicle went off County Highway H near County Highway O and crashed in a field. He was removed from the vehicle but died on his way to a hospital. According to his obituary he was a graduate of the Beaver Dam High School and worked at Milk Specialties in Wautoma. The Divine Passage Funeral Home in Ripon is serving the family. His funeral services are at noon Saturday at the funeral home with visitation prior to the service from 10 am to noon.
Obituary for Nicholas J. Reilly | Divine Passage (divinepassagefunerals.com)
New Home For Alligator Found In Long Lake
The alligator found in Fond du Lac County’s Long Lake has a new home. Officials were able to locate the owner of the small gator which had been turned over by the DNR to J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue in Menasha. They were able to track down the owner who agreed the best place for the reptile would be an animal sanctuary. On Tuesday, John Moyles of J&R confirmed the alligator arrived safely at Critchlow Alligator Sanctuary in Athens, Michigan. Owners of the sanctuary have nicknamed their new addition “Spike.” The alligator had gotten into Long Lake after escaping an outdoor enclosure that was not closed properly.
To see Facebook video of Spike click here.
RASD Tackles Funding Shortfall
The Ripon Area School District is holding a series of community engagement meetings as the District looks at a possible funding shortfall of $1.6 million for the 2023-2024 school year. District Superintendent Mary Whitrock says during the past biennium or two-year state budget cycle the state did not increase funding to school districts. She says the ESSER or Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Funds the District has been receiving from the federal government made up for funding shortfalls but is running out. Among the options the Board’s Finance Committee recently discussed was reducing health care insurance cost with an on-site clinic and moving to self-funding, something Whitrock says the board will explore again in December. Increasing revenue grants, open enrollment and starting a charter school for some of the District’s special education students are also options. The District will also consider an operational referendum and restructuring of debt from previous operational referendum. She says a survey will be sent out to see if there is support for a referendum. Meanwhile the community engagement series begins with a meeting tonight at the Ripon High School Community Room at 6 pm. That will also be the site next Monday night at 5 pm and on Tuesday, July 26th at 6 pm.
ThedaCare Offering COVID Vaccine For Younger Children
ThedaCare is now offering Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to children 6 months and older. ThedaCare will be offering the vaccines at locations across the service area, including in Appleton, Berlin, Neenah, New London, Shawano, and Waupaca, as well as during wellness visits at primary care offices. Vaccine scheduling will be handled primarily through MyThedaCare/MyChart. If you or your children are not current ThedaCare patients or do not have MyThedaCare, you can set up a free account at MyThedaCare.org. MyThedaCare is also accessible on mobile devices through the MyChart app.
Time For Taking Online Training Portion For Vaccine Ambassador Program Running Short
Two in-person training sessions are coming up soon for those who are interested in becoming COVID-19 vaccine ambassadors for Fond du Lac County. Those sessions are from 12:30 to 2:30 pm on July 22nd and 5 to 7 pm on July 25th. But a prerequisite for that training is a two-hour online training session and time to take that it is running out. The ambassador program will make use of everyday people who have gotten the vaccine. Rhianna Schmidt is the Health Educator Communication Specialist for the Fond du Lac County Health Department. She says the ambassadors will simply be asked to share their stories about receiving the vaccine with others in informal settings sometimes one-on-one. More information about the training is available on the County Health Department’s website or by calling (920) 929-3085.
United Cooperative Development A Big Deal For Waupun
Envision Greater Fond du Lac President and CEO Sadie Vander Velde says a $100 million development project by the United Cooperative in Waupun’s Industrial Park is a big deal for the city and the area. The first phase is underway now and ultimately the feed production, soybean processing, and grain storage facility will add 50 new jobs with an annual payroll of $3 million to the city. Vander Velde says it took about 10 years to work out the details, but she congratulates city officials on the project. She says access to railroad shipping and highway connections to Madison and Milwaukee helped the city attract the development.
Meet The Fleet Thursday Night In Weyauwega
The Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office will hold their 2nd annual “Meet the Fleet” celebration at the County Fairgrounds in Weyauwega Thursday night from 4 to 7 pm. Among the specialty vehicles that will be on hand will be squad cars, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, a SWAT vehicle, race cars, monster trucks, dump trucks, tractors, and more. Food trucks will be on site. There will be K9 demonstrations, a dunk a cop booth, kids’ activities, and ThedaStar will land at 5 pm. The event is free to attend.
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