4/25/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday
25 April 2024 News
BESTIALITY SUSPECT MAKES INITIAL FDL COUNTY COURT APPEARANCE
The former Kewaskum Police Department school resource officer suspected of bestiality made his initial appearance in Fond du Lac County court yesterday. Bond was set at $100,000 cash for Steven Rosales and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 31st. The Campbellsport man faces 5 felony charges including 3 counts of bestiality engaging in sexual contact with an animal. The alleged acts spanned a four-year period. The criminal complaint contains excerpts of text messages between Rosales and another person describing some of that activity between Rosales and a family dog. Rosales is also facing three felony charges in Washington County. He was fired from the Kewaskum Police Department for allegedly having a sexting relationship with a student. He made his initial appearance in the Washington County case Monday and had another hearing scheduled for May 28th, but that hearing was cancelled because Rosales has requested a judicial substitution and that was granted. (Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s photo).
MARCH UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
There was little movement in March’s unemployment rates for area counties. According to Federal labor statistics Fond du Lac County’s was up slightly at 2.9 percent. Dodge County’s moved down a little and Winnebago County’s rose slightly with both counties checking in at 3 percent. Waupaca County’s unemployment rate moved down to 3.5 percent while Green Lake County held steady at 3.9 percent. Waushara County’s jobless rate of 4.2 percent decreased slightly. The cities of Oshkosh and Fond du Lac both saw small increases in their unemployment rates at 3 percent and 3.3 percent respectively. Department of Workforce Development officials say a third or 24 of the state’s 72 counties saw their unemployment rates decrease last month, while 41 counties had increases and seven stayed the same.
FDL COUNTY HAZARDOUS WASTE CLEAN SWEEP
Fond du Lac County will be holding a hazardous waste clean sweep Saturday in Fond du Lac. It will be at the Fond du Lac County Highway Department at 1820 South Hickory Street from 9 am to Noon. Households and farms may participate for a $5 fee. Businesses must pay for waste disposal. Discounted rates may apply. No electronics will be accepted. The clean sweep event is a great way to dispose of items such as automotive products, household cleaners, pesticides and home improvement products. Look for items that contain the following warnings on their labels: “Danger, Warning, Caution, Poison, Combustible, Flammable, Corrosive, and Toxic.” The Clean Sweep is only for Fond du Lac County residents. Lists of acceptable and unacceptable items for the Clean Sweep can be found on Fond du Lac County’s Land and Water Conservation webpage.
Hazardous Waste Clean Sweep | Fond du Lac County (wi.gov)
DRUG TAKE BACK EVENT IN FONDY FRIDAY
The Fond du Lac County Health Department, Drug Free Communities of Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Senior Center, and Fond du Lac Police Department are hosting a pop-up Drug Take Back Event tomorrow at the Senior Center in Fond du Lac. Hours for the drop off are 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Jeanette Morales is the community impact coordinator for Drug Free Communities. She says in addition to old and unused pills they will be accepting other items. That includes creams and ointments, liquid medications in the original container, powders, inhalers, vape pens and e-cigarette devices, and pet medications. All pills should be removed from their original container and placed in a zip-top bag. Morales says there are items that they won’t accept including sharps, hazardous or chemical waste, mercury thermometers, electronic glucose monitors, non-medical inhalers, commercial, business, or long-term deposits, e-cigarettes or vape pens with batteries, and aerosol cans. There are permanent drug drop boxes at police stations throughout the county, SSM Health hospitals, and a few other locations.
CONGRESSMAN GROTHMAN ON SEPARATE GRADUATION CEREMONIES
Sixth District Congressman Glenn Grothman is criticizing colleges and universities that are holding separate graduation ceremonies in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion or DEI. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says in his opinion the whole purpose of DEI is to destroy America. He says the United States is appropriately described as a “melting pot,” but there are those who feel it is more appropriate to look at you as a “hyphenated-American.” He says he will be speaking to state legislators about including something in the next state budget to end the practice of separate graduation ceremonies for the purpose of DEI. Congressman Grothman is holding a town hall meeting at the Berlin Town Hall in Berlin this afternoon from 3:15 to 4:15 pm.
RIPON SISTER CITY
Near the mayor’s office and conference room in the Ripon City Hall there are some artifacts and mementoes of a past relationship with a sister-city in England. City officials are looking into rekindling that relationship with Ripon in Yorkshire, England after the Common Council was approached last month by city resident Anne Gibney. City Administrator Adam Sonntag says the oldest of the items from Yorkshire at city hall date back nearly 90 years. He says at one time the two cities exchanged things and there is a possibility that maybe they could do that again. Gibney told the Common Council last month she had written to the officials in Ripon Yorkshire and they were interested in starting up the sister-city relationship again. Nearly 50 communities in Wisconsin have sister cities in Europe or South America.
SCHOOL SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT REPORT
The state’s Department of Public Instruction recently released data for the seclusion and restraint report for the 2022-23 school year. During that year 5,396 instances of seclusion and 6,366 instances where physical restraint was used were reported. That’s a decrease of 8.7 percent for seclusion and 8 percent for restraint from the 2021-22 school year. Among those instances 1,868 students were involved in seclusion incidents, and 2,763 were involved in physical restraint instances. Data did not indicate whether incidents of seclusion and restraint occurred simultaneously. Students in elementary schools were involved in a higher percentage of instances of seclusion and/or physical restraint. In addition, students with individualized education programs were involved in instances at a higher rate than other students, comprising 80 percent of all seclusion incidents and 78 percent of all physical restraint incidents reported for the 2022-23 school year. The 2022-23 school year is the fourth year this information has been compiled and reported to the DPI.
Seclustion and Restraint Data Report 22-23 (wi.gov)
DRAWDOWNS IN NAVARINO WILDLIFE AREA
The state’s Department of Natural Resources tells us they will be conducting a full drawdown on two flowages at Navarino Wildlife Area: Hanson Flowage and 80 Acre Flowage. The drawdowns will begin this spring, and water levels will be lowered slowly until full drawdown is achieved in mid-May. The drop in water levels is necessary to prepare the sites for upcoming construction and repairs scheduled for this summer. The project will involve rebuilding the top, side slopes and spillways of the dikes at both locations. The drawdown is necessary to complete construction, but it will also mimic a natural part of the wetland cycle. Exposing underwater areas to sunlight allows many seed-producing plants to grow providing an abundant food source for waterfowl shorebirds and other wildlife. Once construction is complete, water levels will be slowly raised through late summer and fall. The Navarino Wildlife Area is located in southern Shawano and northern Waupaca counties. (DNR photo).
DAIRY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION LEGISLATIVE AWARDS
The Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin’s leading dairy advocacy organization, announced its 2023-24 legislative awards Wednesday. More than two dozen lawmakers earned the association’s recognition for their commitment to the state’s nearly $50 billion dairy industry. State Representative Travis Tranel of Cuba City, received the Legislative Champion Award, the association’s highest honor, for leading the effort to create the state’s Agriculture Roads Improvement Program. Among the area legislators to receive the association’s legislative awards were State Senator Joan Ballweg of Markesan, and State Representatives Mark Born of Beaver Dam and Jon Plumer of Lodi. The association is a nonprofit organization of Wisconsin dairy farmers, milk processors and business partners. For the 2023-24 legislative session, the association prioritized policy that supports clean water initiatives, protects the integrity of Wisconsin dairy, ensures regulatory fairness and enhances rural communities.
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