9/12/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday
12 September 2024 News
MISSING KAYAKER SEARCH CONTINUES
Green Lake County Sheriff’s officials posted a brief update on Facebook yesterday on the search for a missing kayaker on Green Lake. They shared a post from Bruce’s Legacy and Recovery Service which has been using towable sonar to search for 44-year-old Ryan Borgwardt of Watertown. Ryan went kayaking on Sunday, August 11th and failed to return that night. An initial search found the overturned kayak with a life jacket attached. Since then a water bottle, a tackle box and a fishing rod belonging to Ryan have also been found. In their post Legacy officials say they have covered a lot of area looking for Ryan. They also expressed gratitude for the help they’ve received on the search including the efforts of the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Department. Ryan is married and the father of three children. (Bruce’s Legacy photo).
COLUMBIA COUNTY MAIL THEFT SUSPECT ARRESTED
Columbia County Sheriff’s officials say a 20-year-old Van Etten, New York woman is in custody suspected of stealing mail from mailboxes in the Towns of Dekorra and Otsego last week. The Sheriff’s Office took more than 20 reports about stolen mail and say others may not be aware their mail was taken. Due to victim and witness observations a suspect vehicle was identified. Detectives began working with other area law enforcement agencies and learned the vehicle was suspected in similar thefts in the northern portion of Dane County. The suspect, Rachel Russel, was taken into custody by police in La Crosse and transported to the Columbia County Jail. She is awaiting her initial court appearance. A large quantity of stolen mail has been recovered and detectives will be reaching out to victims in the near future. (Columbia County Jail photo).
OSHKOSH MAN SENTENCED IN CONNECTION WITH SHOTS FIRED DURING PUB CRAWL
A 21-year-old Oshkosh man charged in connection with shots fired during a pub crawl in the city last April has been sentenced to a year in prison and five years of extended supervision. Lamont Brown was sentenced in Winnebago County court this week after pleading no contest to charges of felon in possession of a firearm and felony bail jumping. Three other charges were read into the record and dismissed. Brown was previously convicted of theft. He was not specifically charged with the nearly dozen shots that were fired during the April 13th pub crawl. According to the criminal complaint a witness told investigators Brown entered his residence trying to get away from the shooting and showed him a handgun. Police searched the residence and found a handgun that did not belong to anyone living there. The gun was loaded with a round in the chamber. Officers responded to about 100 calls for service during the pub crawl.
WAUPUN SCHOOL THREAT
Waupun Police say an active threat alarm was triggered at the Waupun Junior/Senior High School at one o’clock yesterday afternoon. A lockdown was put in place. The school building was secured and searched by law enforcement. They found no threat and determined there was no threat to students, staff, the school, or the community. No injuries were reported and school was allowed to return to normal operations.
PROSTITUTION INVESTIGATION IN BEAVER DAM
Search warrants were executed in a prostitution investigation in Beaver Dam late yesterday morning. Beaver Dam Police, Dodge County Sheriff’s deputies, Watertown Police, and the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, conducted search warrants at a business in the 1600 block of North Spring Street and a private residence in the 100 block of Eilbes Avenue. As a result charges are being forwarded to the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office for keeping a place of prostitution. Additional charges may be forthcoming.
911 OUTAGE
The Green Lake and Waushara County Sheriff’s Departments were hit by another 911 service outage Wednesday. Green Lake County Sheriff’s officials say they were notified by their service provider Bright Speed about the outage shortly before 9:30 am. The outage lasted until just before 6:30 last evening. Residents were asked to call another phone number for emergency and non-emergency services. If that number did not work they were asked to call the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the information would be relayed to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Waushara County Sheriff’s officials say their provider told them the outage was due to a contractor working at a new residence in Randolph who cut a high traffic fiber line. They also asked residents to call another phone number to connect with their dispatch center.
FDL COUNTY SALES TAX
Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman says there are a couple things residents should know about the County’s half-percent sales tax. First, contrary to rumors, the County will not be increasing the sales tax by another half-percent to help out Mercury Marine. Second, revenue from the sales tax is still rising. He says they are trending toward receiving more money from the sales tax this year than they did last year. He says the reality is that one of the reasons sales tax revenue is up is due to inflation and what people are paying for their purchases. According to yesterday’s Federal Labor Department report the consumer-price index climbed 2.5 percent in August from where it was a year earlier, decreasing from 2.9 percent in July. Core inflation, a measure that excludes volatile food and energy costs, held roughly steady at 3.2 percent.
NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY
Next Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day and there will be opportunities to register in the area. In Fond du Lac the Broken Bread Food Pantry at the Cathedral of St. Paul on West Division Street will hold a registration event from 9 am to 5 pm. Annie Culver is the Director of the Broken Bread program. She says there is no agenda just an effort to get people registered to vote. They are collaborating with the Fond du Lac County United Way on the effort. United Way Executive Director Amber Kilawee says if you are not registered you will need a Driver’s License or ID card from the State DMV, and proof of residency. Next Tuesday Ripon City Clerk Naomi Miller will be at two locations to register voters. She will be at the Senior Activity Center from 1 to 3 pm and Pichard Commons at Ripon College from 11 am to 1 pm and 4 to 6 pm. Those who would like to help should call 920-748-4915.
ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE FORUM
Candidates for the newly formed 39th Assembly District have been invited to participate in a forum in Ripon next month. The League of Women Voters of the Ripon Area and League of Women Voters of Wisconsin are putting on the forum which will be held on Wednesday, October 2nd at 7 pm in the Ripon City Hall Council Chambers. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. The two candidates for the Assembly seat, Republican Alex Dallman and Democrat Chris Gordon, have been invited to attend. The event will be taped and broadcast on the Ripon Cable/YouTube channels. Dallman and Gordon have until next Wednesday to respond whether or not they will be attending.
WAUPUN’S VOLKFEST THIS WEEKEND
The 30th Annual Waupun Volkfest is coming up Friday and Saturday at the Community Center in Waupun. Cory Buchholz is one of the organizers. He talked about the event on Knuth Brew Talk heard on this station Friday mornings. Cory’s family has a history of being involved in the event. It has evolved over the years and isn’t quite the same as the first event he attended as a kid in 1992. He says Volkfest was interrupted by the COVID pandemic for two years and there was talk of ending it, but they rebooted it and it is better than ever. Volkfest is an old-fashioned Oktoberfest with polka music, craft beers, and food. A complete list of activities, bands, and sponsors for Volkfest can be found at the Waupun Festivals website.
Volksfest German Ethnic Festival (waupunfestivals.com)
OPEN HOUSE AT THE WILD ROSE FISH HATCHERY
The state’s Department of Natural Resources has announced the date for a fall open house at the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery. The open house at the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery’s education center is Saturday, October 26th from 8 am to 3 pm. It will celebrate the annual fall salmon migration. There will be games and educational activities for people of all ages, including learning to cast workshops, fish identification tips or the chance to “swim” upriver like salmon on their migratory journey to spawning areas. Other fish activities include fish printing on tote bags, building a spinnerbait, making Kool-Aid clay fish and touring the original 1908 hatchery and the modern operation.
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