8/14/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Monday
14 August 2023 News
WAUPACA POLICE RESPOND TO OVERDOSE REPORT
Waupaca Police says no shots were fired at a home they responded to Friday afternoon on Ware Street where it was reported two people had overdosed. While officers were on the scene they were advised that a person in the home was armed with a gun and had possibly discharged it. However, no shots had been fired. A person inside the home complied with verbal commands to come outside and was detained. The Waupaca County Sheriff’s SWAT team then entered the home. They found a person who was unconscious and wasn’t breathing. Narcan was administered and the person was taken to ThedaCare in Waupaca. A person who had allegedly pointed a gun at the scene was located elsewhere. Police took that person into custody without incident.
MENOMONEE FALLS MAN CHARGED FOR VANDALISM IN RIPON
Ripon Police referred charges against a 23-year-old Menomonee Falls man suspected of vandalizing vehicles and a home on Houston Street on three separate occasions in 2021 and 2022. Three counts of felony criminal damage to property and four counts of misdemeanor criminal damage to property have been brought against Nicholas Martina. According to the criminal complaint, which was signed last Thursday, three vehicles were damaged in August of 2021, two vehicles and a house in June of 2022, and profanities were spray-painted on the same home in May of 2022. Repair estimates for the damaged vehicles came to just over $20,000. Police used surveillance video from nearby residences and a church on Houston Street to identify the suspect and vehicle he was driving. When questioned about the incident in June of last year Martina was wearing the same shoes and had driven the same vehicle to the interview that the suspect used in the video. The victims were also able to identify him. Martina said he was angry because after living in that residence for four months he got kicked out “for no reason.”
NARCAN TRAINING WILL BE OFFERED IN RIPON
The Fond du Lac County Health Department will be offering free Narcan Training next month at Ripon College. Area residents are invited to take the training at the Pickard Commons Presidential Dining Room on Tuesday, September 5th at 11:15 am. Sarah Gradinjan is the Community Health and Prevention Supervisor for the County Health Department. She says people will learn about recognizing an opioid overdose and how to administer Narcan. She says anyone who knows someone who has a problem with opioid use could find the training beneficial and if they complete the training will receive a free Narcan kit based on availability. To register for the event call 920-929-3085 or look for the QR code on the Health Department’s Facebook page.
REPRESENTATIVE PLUMER JOB GHOSTING BILL VETOED
State Representative Jon Plumer says he’s disappointed but not surprised Governor Tony Evers vetoed a bill he authored to help prevent job interview “ghosting.” The state lawmaker from Lodi says it was a common sense bill designed to help businesses and get more people off of state unemployment benefits. Those on benefits who “ghost” employers they are supposed to interview with or were offered a job by would have lost their unemployment benefits for the week. Plumer says “ghosting” is a huge problem in Wisconsin for employers and it is supposed to be enforced but isn’t being enforced. Plumer says time and time again the Governor has shown he will reject commonsense legislation that supports local businesses and helps gets folks back into the workforce.
IMPROVED PEDIATRIC CARE AT SSM HEALTH RIPON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Over the past year Ripon Community Hospital and 11 other emergency departments participated in the Wisconsin Pediatric Readiness Program. Desiree Stensrud is the Inpatient Nursing Supervisor at Ripon Community Hospital. She says the pediatric initiative has helped them with training and gaps they did not realize they had in their pediatric care. She notes that 15 to 20 percent of their patients are under the age of 18. She says even the smallest thing can effect care. For example they switched to weighing pediatric patients in kilograms instead of pounds because medication rates are based on kilograms and errors in conversion could be costly. She says the statistics on errors in medication rates are as high as 50 percent for children. Because she was involved in the changes in pediatric care during the past year Gradinjan now is the pediatric nurse coordinator at the hospital. She says they are always striving to improve the care they offer to patients of any age at Ripon Community Hospital.
WAUTOMA SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT BEING COMPLETED
Alliant Energy officials say they reached a major milestone for their 99 megawatt Wautoma Solar Project in Waushara County in June. The last of 238,305 solar panels was installed. The final stretch of the project is being completed at the Wautoma airport property due to feedback Alliant received during the planning process to adjust the array location. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and Federal Aviation Administration approved the site adjustment earlier this year. With nearly all construction complete, Alliant will begin to ramp down site activities. They expect to complete the project later this year. Once complete it will generate enough electricity to power nearly 26,000 homes.
RIPON COLLEGE PROFESSOR WRITES BIOGRAPHY ABOUT AL JARREAU
An authorized biography of jazz/pop vocalist Al Jarreau, a native of Milwaukee, was released August 9th by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. The author of Never Givin’ Up: The Life and Music of Al Jarreau is Kurt Dietrich, professor emeritus of music at Ripon College. Jarreau who died in 2017, was a 1962 graduate of Ripon. Dietrich will read from the book and discuss his research in a public presentation at 7:30 pm Wednesday, September 13th, in Lane Library on the Ripon College campus. With both Jarreau and Dietrich being closely affiliated with Ripon College, Dietrich had met Jarreau four times on Jarreau’s trips back to Ripon College and Milwaukee. After Jarreau died, Dietrich realized a biography of the singer was needed. You can read more about the book in our news story at Hometown Broadcasting.com.
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