12/27/23 Hometown Broadcasting News Wednesday
27 December 2023 News
MAN CHARGED IN MULTIPLE FATAL ACCIDENT IN WAUPACA COUNTY STILL SEEKING LAWYER
The 47-year-old Neenah man facing four homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle charges for a fatal wrong-way crash that killed four siblings in Waupaca County was in court Tuesday. During the hearing Scott Farmer said he still doesn’t have an attorney. During the December 16th crash on Highway 10 in Weyauwega Daniel, Fabian, Lillian and Daniela Gonzalez died when their SUV was hit by a wrong way driver. Farmer is charged with their deaths and operating with a revoked license causing death. He has four prior OWI convictions. Gonzalez family members packed the courtroom during Tuesday’s hearing. Further proceedings have been scheduled for January 9th. Funeral services for the four Gonzalez siblings will be held at the Weyauwega-Fremont High School at 11 pm this morning.
GERMANTOWN MAN CHARGED FOR ALLEGEDLY POSING AS A DEPUTY AND LAWYER
A 35-year-old Germantown man is facing charges in Washington County for allegedly posing as a Sheriff’s deputy and divorce attorney to solicit explicit photographs from victims. Sheriff’s investigators say Daniel Anderson was working for a towing company and contacted two victims after towing their vehicles. The near month and a half long investigation started after one victim came forward and reported contact by someone via text messages claiming to be a deputy. The individual offered to help her rid legal charges the victim was facing in exchange for explicit photos and sex acts. Anderson told the victim he could purge the pending criminal charges from the computer system in exchange for her cooperation. Investigators subsequently took over communication with Anderson posing as the victim. He was arrested last Friday. During his initial court appearance on Tuesday bond was set at $15,000 cash and another hearing is scheduled for January 24th. (Washington County Jail photo).
GAS STATION BURGLARY IN FDL
Police in Fond du Lac are investigating a break-in at a gas station in the city Christmas night. Officers responded to the Kool Quick Stop gas station in the 500 block of South Main Street late Christmas night. A customer was getting gas at an after-hours pump and noticed the front door was smashed. A large rock was lying nearby. Police surrounded the building in case the suspect or suspects were still inside. Sheriff’s deputies assisted by using a small drone to fly inside the store. The building was empty. Two months ago the business was held up by an armed robber.
SEX OFFENDER BEING RELEASED IN OSHKOSH
A 53-year-old sex offender will be moving to Oshkosh on January 9th. When Joseph Wyatt is released from prison he will be homeless. He will be on electronic monitoring and will be on probation until December 23rd 2030. Wyatt was convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child in 2002- and first-degree sexual assault of a child in 2006. Both convictions were in Winnebago County. The female victims were 5 and 14 years old and were known to Wyatt. He is currently incarcerated at Oshkosh Correctional Institution. (Wisconsin Department of Corrections photo).
RIPON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION TO BE DISCUSSED
Barlow Park Journey Principal Shawn Gartzke is inviting parents to attend an engagement session early next month to discuss the future of the Ripon Area School District’s 4K-Grade 2 schools. With Barlow Park Charter Elementary School’s contract and federal grant both coming to an end on June 30th, the Governance Council began discussing whether renewing the charter was essential. To continue as a charter school, the Council must request a renewal with the Ripon School Board in February. The Barlow Governance Council’s question regarding renewal sparked further conversations across the Barlow staff, the Journey Project School Governance Council, and Journey staff. Over the last few months, the Governance Council and the staff in both schools engaged in conversations regarding the opportunity of unifying the schools and were given separate opportunities to vote. All groups voted unanimously in favor of creating one elementary school. Now, the Council and staff of both schools are interested in having an open dialogue and conversation with parents. So, in early January, the process will expand to include all 4K-Grade 2 parents.
FDL COUNTY WAGE STUDY
During this month’s Fond du Lac County Board meeting the board heard a presentation on the Fond du Lac County Compensation Analysis. County Executive Sam Kaufman says what they learned from the study was that the County is not paying enough to its employees and as a result is losing them to other counties and private industry. He says when it comes to comparably-sized counties they would like to be paying as least as much as half of those counties but they aren’t. The preparers of the analysis recommended a 3 percent increase in wages and an increase in step on the wage scale on an employee’s work anniversary. Kaufman says he would also like to see the county consider flex scheduling and allowing some employees to work at home 1 or 2 days a week which could also save some employees on child care costs. Kaufman is also hoping the county will take a look at using some of its sales tax monies to pay for the increase in wages.
UKRAINE FUNDING TIED TO BORDER CRISIS
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says continued funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia is tied to actions the Biden Administration takes to stop the flow of illegal immigrants along our southern border. The federal lawmaker from Oshkosh says slowly approving those funds for the Ukraine is the only leverage they have to get the President to address the crisis. Johnson says they are actually doing the President a favor because the open border is one of his biggest reelection liabilities. He says they’ve set some bench marks for the administration in doing something about the crisis and continued funding for the Ukraine war effort is contingent upon them.
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY FOR RIPON IN 2024
Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mandy Kimes says 2024 will be a big year for the City of Ripon. She says the City will be celebrating its 175th Anniversary. Kimes says they will be doing some special things throughout the course of next year to mark the special benchmark for the city. She says there will be all kinds of fun events and ways of celebrating Ripon’s unique history. She says a number of groups will be celebrating their own special anniversaries including the Kiwanis Club which will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary. Kimes says they may try to nail down one particular weekend when they can plan a number of activities to celebrate the City’s anniversary. Kimes says anyone who would like to volunteer to serve on a planning committee should contact the Chamber Office by stopping by or call them at 920-748-6764.
NEW DOCTOR JOINING SSM HEALTH IN WAUPUN AND BEAVER DAM
Dr. Shawn Laibly, a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, is joining SSM Health’s Fond du Lac Regional Clinic in Waupun and SSM Health Physicians’ Offices in Beaver Dam. Dr. Laibly provides comprehensive health care services to women of all ages, including pregnancy and childbirth, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the female reproductive system, and management of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. Laibly completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency at Blodget/St. Mary’s in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Call 920-324-6803 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
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