8/8/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday
8 August 2024 News
CHARGES COULD BE FILED AGAINST FORMER RIPON FIRE CHIEF
Charges could be coming against former Ripon Fire Chief Tim Saul in a criminal investigation for alleged “financial fraud.” According to a story in this week’s Ripon Commonwealth Press, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney needs to review the results of a criminal investigation conducted by the Ripon Police Department. The Ripon Area Fire District filed a complaint with the Ripon Police Department in June of 2023. The Police Department referred its investigative report to the District Attorney’s Office last November. The Commonwealth reports that both Ripon Police Chief Bill Wallner and Ripon Mayor Ted Grant have reached out to District Attorney Eric Toney over the past few months stressing the importance of his review. Chief Wallner also updated the Ripon Area Fire District Governing Board in March about the results of the investigation. Saul retired in December of 2022. Following that change the RAFD board had a forensic audit done. The Commonwealth reports that RAFD Board President Ellen Sorensen told the board in February of 2023 that a credit card had “tens of thousands of dollars of charges” from 2020 that hadn’t been recorded on the district’s books. You can read more at the Ripon Commonwealth Press website or in their newspaper.
NEENAH MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST TO FOUR VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGES
The 48-year-old Neenah man who drove a vehicle the wrong-way last December in Waupaca County causing a crash that killed four siblings has been convicted of five charges stemming from the incident. Scott Farmer pled no contest Wednesday to his fifth OWI charge and four counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Two other charges and several traffic violations will be dropped. He will be sentenced on November 22nd. During the December 16th crash on Highway 10 in Weyauwega, Daniel, Fabian, Lillian and Daniela Gonzalez died when their SUV was hit by Farmer. All four siblings are originally from Ecuador. According to the criminal complaint, a blood test taken following the accident put Farmer’s alcohol content at .346 or more than four times the legal limit. Farmer will be back in court for a status conference on March 12th.
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON FATAL PLANE CRASH NEAR OSHKOSH
The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report about a fatal plane crash in a soybean field near Oshkosh that killed two people last month. The Lancair ES crashed around 12:12 pm on July 22nd. The preliminary review says the airplane pilot was instructed by an air traffic controller to widen his turn for two planes that were landing in front of him. The pilot acknowledged “in sight” and then initiated a left turn. The pilot was then cleared to land on a runway and acknowledged the clearance. The airplane crashed in a soybean field south of Road N, about 1.5 miles from the approach end of the runway it had been cleared to land on. A fire broke out destroying the plane. The two people killed in the plane crash were 37-year-old Sean Tommervik of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the owner and pilot of the plane, and passenger 32-year-old James Sullivan of Brooklyn, New York.
E COLI DETECTED AT BOAT LAUNCH ON GREEN LAKE
The Green Lake County Public Health Department says the Green Lake Sanitary District is reporting that there is an elevated reading for E.coli at Dodge Memorial County Park Boat Launch. The boat launch is not a swimming area, but they are cautioning those who launch their boats at the site to take care not get any of the water in their mouths and to rinse off once exiting the water. The lake has seen several boat launch and swimming areas closed recently due to elevated E.coli levels or the presence of blue-green algae.
DEER POACHING INVESTIGATION
One of the investigators working on a large deer poaching case in Fond du Lac, Dodge, and Washington counties say they have been able to identify suspects. William Hankee is the DNR Conservation Warden for Fond du Lac County. He and Conservation Warden Zachery Feest , who covers Washington County, have been working with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office on investigating the poaching that has been going on for 12 to 18 months. Hankee says it was a tip to the Sheriff’s Office that launched the investigation. He says the poaching wasn’t for meat because the shooters are leaving the carcasses behind some with heads removed. Hankee says they are working with the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office on referring charges. He points out there is still work to do to build their case including determining how many deer were shot, over how long a period of time, who was involved and to what degree. The range of poaching covered approximately 200 square miles. He encourages anyone who knows about or suspects poaching to call their tip line 1-800-TIP-WDNR that’s 1-800-847-9367.
KATRINA BAUR BOND REDUCTION REQUEST DENIED
A request to reduce the bond for Elijah Vue’s mother has been denied by a Manitowoc County judge. Katrina Baur is charged with child neglect and resisting or obstructing an officer. She and her attorney appeared in court via video Wednesday asking for a maximum cash bond of $5,000. That request was denied, but a condition not allowing her contact with any children under the age of 18 was changed to allow her supervised contact with her children. A status conference in the case is scheduled for October 22nd. The 31-year-old Wisconsin Dells woman’s son has been missing since February 20th. She left him in the care of 39-year-old Jesse Vang of Two Rivers who called 911 to report the 3-year-old boy missing. No one has been charged in connection with his disappearance. Vang is also facing criminal charges. A status conference is scheduled in his case for September 27th.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS ON TUEDAY’S BALLOT
Wisconsin voters next Tuesday will decide on two referendum questions that could change the State Constitution when it comes to the spending of federally allocated funds. During the COVID-19 pandemic and afterwards a lot of federal funding was sent the state’s way with the Governor determining how to allocate those funds. State Representative Alex Dallman of Green Lake is advocating for a yes vote on both questions, one specifically would prohibit the Governor from having sole authority to do that. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and 20 other organizations are urging a no vote on both questions. They argue that government needs to have the ability to respond quickly in an emergency, like tornadoes or storms, and to bring Wisconsin tax dollars back to state residents.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPENDING
Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman says when it comes to Department of Defense spending practicality and safety should also be considered. He is a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs which recently held a hearing on Department of Defense spending. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says soldiers have nicknamed the Osprey helicopter the “Window Maker” and there have been crashes that killed our military personnel because of the failure of the helicopter. He says one such crash happened last fall in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan and eight soldiers lost their lives unnecessarily. He says aircraft like the F-35 fighter jet are expensive to build and maintain yet as we learned from the war between Russia and Ukraine jets can be shot down from the ground and sometimes with a cheaper weapon. During the recent hearing Congressman Grothman also called for more accountability in Department of Defense spending.
PROGRESS ON FDL HEALTH CAMPUS
Construction work is progressing in Fond du Lac at the site of a new health campus, which includes sustainable energy system technology. The combined health system of Froedtert ThedaCare Health broke ground on the health campus in February of 2024. The campus aims to expand convenient access to care for those living in Northeast and Central Wisconsin. The campus at 755 West Johnson Street complements community development underway and will be conveniently located in a retail district near I-41. Jenny Nikolai, vice president of new Community Hospitals, in Fond du Lac and Oshkosh says, “The Fond du Lac campus is proceeding nicely and we are excited to see the facility beginning to take shape.” The Fond du Lac campus is expected to be approximately 25,000-square-feet, with an estimated $35 million investment. It is expected to be complete in 2025.
COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER GRANTS AWARDED
Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction Wednesday announced its awarding $6.2 million in federal funds to 57 school sites across the state. The funding is through the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program which aims to address students’ academic needs by providing enriching academic activities during out-of-school hours. Among those awarded grants were Clay Lamberton Elementary School in Berlin, Chegwin Elementary School in Fond du Lac, Green Lake Elementary School in Green Lake, Forest Lane Community School in Montello, and the Journey Project School in Ripon. In Oshkosh Jefferson, Merrill, Oaklawn, and Read Elementary Schools are receiving grants. Two schools in the Wautoma Area School District are getting the grants Parkside Middle School and Riverview Elementary School and Wild Rose Elementary School in Wild Rose.
FREE WELL WATER TESTING AT FARM TECHNOLOGY DAYS
The Wisconsin DNR will provide free well water testing for nitrate at Farm Technology Days in Cadott August 13th through the 15th. The on-the-spot nitrate screening will be at the DNR area, on the corner of the grounds designated Rooney Grain Way and Seventh Street. Participants are asked to bring one cup of well water in a clean container. DNR staff will provide results as early as in a few minutes. Staff will also be available to answer questions and provide recommendations for additional testing if elevated levels are detected. Nitrate is the most common health-related contaminant found in Wisconsin’s groundwater. An estimated 10 percent of private wells may contain nitrate levels above the health standards, and nearly one-third of private well owners have never had their drinking water tested for nitrates.
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