6/14/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
14 June 2024 News
AS SEEN ON THE RIPON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT FACEBOOK PAGE
The Thoughful 30 Food Drive Challenge.
A great example of a school project helping others! Odyssey Academy of Virtual Learning students did an incredible job.
This family organized a food drive as part of a school project. Wow, look at the incredible collection they received! Great Job!!!
UWO FOX CITIES CAMPUS CLOSING
UW-Oshkosh officials Thursday announced they are closing the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus. UWO Chancellor Andrew Levitt says teaching and learning at the campus in Menasha will be discontinued on June 30th of 2025. Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman reviewed the UWO’s analysis. He is supporting its conclusions and has directed the university to move forward. Levitt says they spent a year analyzing all the demographics and in the end they made “a difficult but responsible decision.” Over the past decade the UWO Fox Cities total enrollment has declined nearly 67 percent. Projections put the school’s potential enrollment at fewer than 100 students by 2032. According to the school’s website this past year there were 1,367 students at the Fox Cities campus.
JURY TRIAL FOR POWERBOAT OWNER NEARING END OF FIRST WEEK
The jury trial in Winnebago County court for a 53-year-old Oshkosh man suspected of driving a powerboat that crashed into a paddlewheel cruise boat nears the end of its first week today. Jason Lindemann is facing 15 charges for the collision on July 9th, 2022. The crash between the 38-foot powerboat and the paddlewheel boat on the Fox River caused significant damage to the paddlewheel boat and led to a variety of injuries for over a dozen of the 44 people who were on board. Yesterday the prosecution called its final witnesses with plans to rest its case on Monday. The trial is set for another week with the defense presenting its case.
WINNECONNE MAN ARRESTED FOR SEVENTH OWI
Winneconne Police arrested a 47-year-old Winneconne man for his seventh operating while intoxicated offense Wednesday night about 8 pm. Police say he was driving “dangerously” on East Main Street in the village. An officer initiated a traffic stop and noticed signs of impairment while speaking with the man. He refused to take field sobriety tests and was actually on extended supervision for his 6th OWI offense. One of his parole conditions is no alcohol consumption. A preliminary breath test put his blood alcohol content at .171 or more than twice the legal limit for intoxication. He was taken to a local hospital where a blood draw was conducted. He was then taken to the Winnebago County Jail. In addition to the OWI arrest he was placed on a probation and parole hold. Additional charges could be referred to the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office.
IRON RIDGE MAN SENTENCED FOR EIGHTH OWI CONVICTION
An eighth conviction for operating while under the influence has earned a 72-year-old Iron Ridge man 5 years in prison and 5 years of extended supervision. Dennis Grosenick pled no contest this week to the OWI charge in Dodge County court. The charge stemmed from an incident last November. A Sheriff’s deputy found Grosenick passed out in his vehicle in the middle of the roadway in the Town of Hubbard that evening. The vehicle was running and the brake lights were on. Grosenick refused to take field sobriety testing. When the vehicle was searched an open bottle of liquor was found. A preliminary breath test at the jail put his blood alcohol content at .155 or about twice the legal limit for intoxication. Grosenick’s OWI convictions date back 30 years. His last OWI conviction was 12 years ago.
CONSTRUCTION ZONE EXPANDED IN COLUMBIA COUNTY
Starting next Monday, the active construction zone on Highway 33 in Columbia County will be expanding. The closure spans the area between Inglehart Road in Scott Township to State Highway 73 at the Columbia and Dodge County lines. The official detour for the construction zone starts at Highway 22 on the west end and Highway 73 to the east end. To aid construction crews in the performance of their work and assure their safety, drivers should avoid the closed portion of the roadway. Only motorists who have a legitimate purpose to be on the closed portion of the road are allowed to travel on the roadway. There will be an increased law enforcement presence in all construction zones throughout the summer.
COPING WITH ADDICTION
A therapist with SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital’s Behavioral Health Walk-In Clinic says coping with an addicted family member or loved one is a challenge for both persons. Tricia Fauska is a clinical supervisor of addiction. She says a good start is to research addiction. The knowledge will help you empathize with your loved one and help you make informed decisions. Fauska says you also have to set boundaries for them and yourself. For instance some people will not let the loved one with an addiction live with them until they get treatment. She says seeking treatment is a decision the person with the addiction has to make for themselves. She equates addiction to a form of grief because the person going through the addiction is not the same person you knew prior to it. Fauska says if during the battle with addiction it becomes too much for you or them consider their Behavioral Health Walk-In Clinic at Ripon Community Hospital or call her at 920-926-4200.
RONY’S RECRUIT FUNDRAISER UPDATE
The Rony’s Recruit fundraiser to raise funds for the cost of replacing Rony when the dog retires from the Ripon Police Department forges ahead. It was a recent benefactor of the Cause of the Monday program at Vines & Rushes Winery and individual donations. Police Chief Bill Wallner says in addition to the purchasing and training of a new dog, they have the dog’s upkeep and equipping of a squad car to consider. He says while they appreciate the community’s support it has been about 10 years since their last major fundraiser for the K9 program. Yesterday they received a $5,000 contribution from Alliance Laundry Systems. One of the current fundraising efforts is through Condon Oil Company gas stations: including Citgo, Shell, BP/Ultimart, and Mobil/Holliday. They will be contributing a portion of proceeds from designated pumps through August 31st. Look for the signs. (Ripon Police Department photo).
A SUPERINTENDENT’S JOB IS NEVER DONE
Berlin Area School District Superintendent Emmett Durtschi says contrary to what some may think he doesn’t take the summer off, he’s busy year round. He notes there is hiring staff, summer school, and budget work to be done. When students are gone there is also maintenance and construction that also has to be performed. He says they are using up the last of their COVID funding to get some of those projects completed this summer. Among the projects is refinishing the gym floor, putting in a new sound system in the auditorium, the kitchen floor is being redone, there’s concrete repair work, and rebuilding the playground at Clay Lamberton Elementary School. He says a lot of the planning they do for the budget and a new school year begins long before the new school year. Examples include planning staffing, planning budget, planning projects and new initiatives, and personnel changes.
RIPON COLLEGE ALUMNI AWARDS
Ripon College will be honoring 11 alumni with special awards on Friday, June 21st. These awards will be presented during Alumni Weekend at the 1851 Awards Dinner. Four of the alumni will be honored with Distinguished Alumni Citations. Two are being named as Outstanding Youth Alumni, and five are going to be named to the Ripon College Athlete Hall of Fame. The eleven come from all kinds of fields of endeavor including; Journalism, Business, Health Care, Law, Finance, Athletics and more. To learn more about this honor or purchase tickets to attend the awards ceremony, call 920-748-8126. You can read about the honorees in our story at Hometown Broadcasting.com.
YOUTH AND FAMILY ACTIVITIES EXPAND FOR EAA AIRVENTURE
A new youth aviation activities area located in the Vintage Aircrafts Association area on the EAA grounds is the latest edition to the expanding youth and family activities taking place at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024. Paul Maly, EAA’s director of education says, “When we began welcoming those 18-and-under at no charge beginning in 2021, we immediately noticed an increase in the number of families at AirVenture.” He says they wanted to expand possibilities for families to encourage them to visit and engage with everything AirVenture has to offer. Families are encouraged to visit the Youth Welcome Center. Other locations on the EAA grounds with activities for youth include KidsVenture, AeroEducate Center, and the NASA STEM Zone. The 71st edition of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s fly-in convention and air show is July 22nd through the 28th at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
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