12/13/22 Hometown Broadcasting News Tuesday
13 December 2022 News
Winter Weather Advisory For Waushara County
A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Waushara County from 6 pm tonight to 6 am tomorrow morning. National Weather Service officials say to expect mixed precipitation with snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch. Winds will be gusting as high as 40 miles an hour. Drivers should plan on slippery road conditions.
Oshkosh Murder Suspect Pleads NGI
A 38-year-old Oshkosh man charged with murdering a man in the 300 block of Oxford Avenue in Oshkosh on Memorial Day has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Monday in Winnebago County court the court ordered a mental health evaluation for Joshua Johnson, which is protocol in NGI plea cases. A hearing will be scheduled once the report is complete. At that time a judge will decide if the case against Johnson can move forward. Johnson is charged with first degree intentional homicide and felon in possession of a firearm charges. According to the criminal complaint Johnson believed a family was plotting against him and if he didn’t kill the victim the victim would kill him. The victim’s nephew told police the family was trying to get help for Johnson, but he refused it. The victim was shot in the head.
Threat At Chilton High School
Sheriff’s deputies in Calumet County responded to the Chilton High School last night for a “suspicious incident.” School District Superintendent Susan Kaphingst issued a statement. In it she said they became aware of a possible threat at the school and the building was put in lockdown as a precaution. The Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to assist school officials. The school was hosting its Band and Choir Winter Concert for grades 9 through 12. The school was searched and deemed to be safe. Students were then released. Kaphingst says it was an isolated incident and at no time were students in danger. School will go on today, but with an increased law enforcement presence. The Sheriff’s Office says it was not a bomb threat.
Perfect Christmas Not Attainable
The Public Health Officer for the Fond du Lac County Health Department says the holidays aren’t a happy time for everyone. Kim Mueller notes there is more stress and loneliness during the Christmas season. She says it is especially difficult for people who have recently suffered the loss of someone close to them. She recommends asking those who you suspect are having a tough time how they are doing and maybe share some of your time with them even if that only means inviting them for coffee. She says people should slow down and try and enjoy the holidays with friends and family. Mueller says striving for the “Perfect Christmas” adds a lot of stress to the holidays and social media posts don’t help. There is a nationwide suicide and crisis lifeline available for those who may need help. That number is 9-8-8.
Ripon Common Council Preview
The Ripon Common Council tonight will consider approving a resolution that would allow the city to apply for a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to make further improvements to the Village Green. Ripon Main Street which owns the Village Green has been improving the property including purchasing land for its expansion. Award of a WEDC Vibrant Spaces Grant would allow those improvements to continue. The Council will also continue a discussion about a plaque for the Grace and Lloyd Mitchell Senior Activity Center. Some Council members didn’t feel their names should be on the plaque when three different City Councils worked on making the new center possible. The Council meets at 7 pm in the Council Chambers of the Ripon City Hall.
Grace and Lloyd Mitchell Senior Activity Center
Finishing touches continue to be put on the Grace and Lloyd Mitchell Senior Activity Center in Ripon. Center Executive Director Noreen Johnson says a contractor is going through a punch list making sure that everything is as it was planned for. Furniture was recently delivered and installed. Picnic tables were delivered over the weekend for the center’s back patio. Electronics including TVs were delivered and cable was installed for television and internet services. Johnson says by all appearances from the outside it looks done, but they are still a few weeks away from making that happen especially with the holidays coming up. The Center and Trailhead were a $2.5 million project.
Deputy Johnny On The Spot
Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt commends one of his deputies for rushing to the scene of a house fire and getting it under control before it could spread to the whole home. It happened early the morning of December 2nd at N9745 Schoenberg Road in Fond du Lac County’s Town of Calumet. A woman called the County’s Communication Center at 3:41 am saying her smoke alarms were going off and her house was filling with smoke. She sought shelter in her vehicle because temperatures outside were below freezing. When Deputy Jeffrey Vaile got there he grabbed the fire extinguisher in his patrol car and ran to the scene. Body camera video on the Sheriff’s Facebook page shows him putting out the fire. Sheriff Waldschmidt says fire department officials believe the house would have been destroyed if not for the deputy’s quick actions. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire isn’t considered suspicious and may have been caused by a frayed extension cord powering external lights. The fire caused minor damage to the residence.
Broadband Expansion Grant Program
The State of Wisconsin is taking applications through February 22nd for the Broadband Expansion Grant Program. State and federal investments directed by Governor Tony Evers toward this program since 2019 have connected or are in the process of connecting over 387,000 homes and businesses to high-speed broadband internet service. Governor Evers says, “High-speed internet access is critical for Wisconsin families, businesses, and communities to thrive.” In this grant round, $14.1 million is available to applicants to help expand high-speed broadband Internet in the state. More information on the program is available on the Public Service Commission website.
PSC State Broadband Expansion Grants (wi.gov)
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