4/8/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Monday
8 April 2024 News
RECKLESS HOMICIDE SUSPECT BOUND OVER FOR TRIAL
One of the five people charged in the overdose death of an 18-year-old Ripon man was bound over for trial during a preliminary hearing last week. 18-year-old Donavyn Mueller is charged with being party to the crime of first-degree reckless homicide and narcotics trafficking. He’s being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond. According to the criminal complaint on April 7th, 2023, the victim took a pill believed to be Percocet at a Ripon home and overdosed. He was taken from the residence and left on a sidewalk. The pill contained fentanyl. The court cases for the four others facing charges are in various stages.
PRELIMINARY HEARING RESCHEDULED FOR RECKLESS HOMICIDE SUSPECT
A preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for a 44-year-old Fond du Lac man charged with first degree reckless homicide in a man’s drug overdose death. Julio Batista is also charged with two felony counts of bail jumping. He was in Fond du Lac County court for a preliminary hearing but it was rescheduled for May 16th. Charges stem from a drug overdose death in the Village of Eden on May 22nd of last year. According to the criminal complaint several anonymous sources provided information that Batista had been selling fentanyl and crack cocaine throughout the county. Investigators were able to link Batista to the victim. Fond du Lac County Chief Medical Examiner Adam Covach found the victim’s cause of death to be a combination of “alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl toxicity.” An injection mark was found in the victim’s right arm during an autopsy.
CLASSES RESUME AT WAUPUN CORRECTIONAL
In-person classes resumed this past week in the education building at Waupun Correctional Institution, one of several steps the prison has taken recently toward ending modified movement. Currently, classes focus on preparing inmates for General Educational Development or High School Equivalency Degree testing. Four levels of math and language arts classes are offered as well as courses in science, social studies and civics. WCI hopes to add career and technical education courses accredited through Moraine Park Technical College soon. High school equivalency degree testing, lessons at the cell front, and virtual educational programming was offered throughout modified movement. Now in-person classes have resumed at WCI. Higher Education in Prison students, who are pursuing associate degree using Pell grants for distance learning with partner colleges, have been continuing their studies and 34 prospective students recently attended orientation sessions at WCI.
FLOAM TRANSITIONING FROM WINNEBAGO COUNTY BOARD TO OSHKOSH COMMON COUNCIL
Oshkosh Common Councilman Elect Jacob Floam says the 5,500 plus doors he got out and knocked on paid off during last Tuesday’s election. The soon to be former Winnebago County Supervisor was one of three people elected to the Council for a two-year term. He feels people do care about prior service in government so his experience serving on the County Board probably helped him out at the polls. He served on an IT committee, Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, Winnebago County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, and a committee that took a look at the committee structure of the County Board. Floam says it is not lost on him that he’s trading in roughly 5,500 people he represented on the County Board to more than 66,000 residents he will be serving on the Oshkosh Common Council. He will take his seat on the Council on Tuesday, April 16th.
YOUTH TURKEY HUNT THIS WEEKEND
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds families, mentors and young hunters that there’s still time to plan and participate in the 2024 youth turkey hunt happening statewide this coming Saturday and Sunday. Each year, the youth turkey hunt gives hunters under 16 the opportunity to gain valuable hunting experience and feel the excitement of turkey season before the regular season begins. Youth hunters must have a spring turkey license, wild turkey stamp and valid harvest authorization. All of these are available online through Go Wild or in person at license sales agents around the state. Youth hunters may use a harvest authorization for any period during the youth hunt, but they must hunt within the turkey management zone indicated on their harvest authorization. During this two-day youth hunt the bag limit is one male or bearded turkey.
PUBLIC SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING AT RIPON COLLEGE
The Society of Physics Students and the Ripon College departments of physics and education will hold a public viewing event for the solar eclipse today. The community is invited to attend the event sponsored by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. Those interested can stop by Memorial Green outside of Pickard Commons anytime between 11 am and 2 pm, or while supplies last, to pick up a free set of eclipse viewers and learn about the science of eclipses and about safe eclipse viewing, and to explore a variety of physics demonstrations. Although Ripon is not in the “path of totality,” the eclipse maximum for this area will take place at 2:07 pm local time.
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