9/27/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
27 September 2024 News
WAUTOMA SCHOOL THREAT
The Wautoma Area School District can be added to the list of schools that have recently received or been the subject of threats. Wautoma Police say they got several calls yesterday inquiring about a subject armed with a gun after school. They say there was no such incident involving anyone with a gun. The information was relayed to the school and they went into a soft lock down until they could confirm with law enforcement that there was no threat.
A WHOLE LOT OF BOLOGNA
U.S Customs and Border Protection officers Wednesday seized nearly 300 boxes of prescription medication, $7,000 in cash, and a whole lot of meat from a vehicle at the Mexico border. The 43-year-old woman driving the vehicle also had 700 pounds of bologna in it. Officials say the woman, a U.S. citizen, only declared a cooked meal, but when they searched the vehicle, they found several suitcases that seemed heavier than they should have been. This bologna’s first name spells out to “illegal.”
RIPON CITY BUDGET
The Ripon Common Council this week held a nearly 3-hour workshop on the proposed 2025 City Budget. City Administrator Adam Sonntag says they are looking at an overall budget of nearly $20.2 million and a tax levy of just under $4.2 million. He says where normally they would have $1 or $2 million included for capital expenditures they are looking at $4 or $5 million this year to tackle some of the longstanding projects the city has. He says it will be late October before they will have a clearer idea of what the mill rate will be but right now they are targeting about a 4 percent increase from last year. He says the goal is to get that rate down. Last year’s mill rate was around $8.95. Sonntag told the Common Council this week they would like to keep it under $9.30 per thousand dollars of valuation on a property.
LITTLE WHITE SCHOOLHOUSE FUNDING DISCUSSED
During a workshop on the 2025 City Budget Wednesday night, the Ripon Common Council discussed allocating $5,000 to the Little White Schoolhouse. The Schoolhouse is owned and operated by the Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce. Both the Chamber and Ripon Main Street receive money for their operations from the City room tax. Discussion focused on whether that money should be in addition to what the Chamber is receiving. Both Council member Ellen Sorensen and Mayor Ted Grant said over the years the Chamber has been doing less events, while Ripon Main Street has been adding more. City Administrator Adam Sonntag said the money the Chamber and Main Street receive from the room tax is to promote tourism and isn’t based on a level of success. Sonntag said they could discuss adding a line item to the budget to give $5,000 toward the Schoolhouse operations. The Council also discussed restoring full funding to Envision Greater Fond du Lac. Their funding was cut to $6,500 this year, but Council members and city officials feel Envision provided more small business and entrepreneurship services this year. They will be considering restoring Envision’s funding to $13,000.
GREEN LAKE POLICE DEPARTMENT OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The Green Lake Police Department solved an issue this week that they had no fault in. On a recent Facebook post Police Chief Jason Reysen reached out for help from residents and those that follow them on the social media site. Apparently over the past few years Google had been listing the Green Lake Police Department as “permanently closed.” The Department asked people to help them out by clicking on the “suggest edit” button and click reopened. The appeal to followers worked and the issue has been remedied. Other search engines had the correct information about the department’s status.
COUNTY HIGHWAY N RAILROAD OVERPASS
Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman says the county is hoping this time an application for a federal grant to construct a railroad overpass on County Highway N or Kinker Road will be successful. The County Board last week approved allowing County Highway Commissioner Tom Janke to submit the application for the grant. Kaufman says it’s about a $10 million project but the overpass is needed because the train traffic stops law enforcement, fire, and first responders trying to get to the scene of an emergency. The County has previously applied for federal money for an overpass there, but those attempts were unsuccessful. Kaufman says U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin has been very helpful over the years in their efforts to get an overpass. Kaufman says the grant application is on its way.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FALL IN AUGUST
Unemployment rates decreased in all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties in August. According to federal labor statistics most area counties saw a decrease of at least half a percent. Fond du Lac County saw one of the largest decreases from 4.7 percent in July to 2.9 percent in August. Dodge and Winnebago counties each had a jobless rate of 2.5 percent. The jobless rate for both Green Lake and Waupaca counties was at 2.6 percent. The rate for Waushara County was at 2.9 percent. The unemployment rate for the City of Fond du Lac fell from 6.9 to 3.8 percent. The City of Oshkosh had a jobless rate of 2.8 percent last month.
STATE HIGHWAY 23 IMPROVEMENT MEETING IN MANAWA
The state’s Department of Transportation will be holding a public involvement meeting to discuss proposed options for State Highway 22 between County Highway N and County Highway B in the City of Manawa. The meeting is next Thursday at 5 pm at the Manawa City Hall. A brief presentation is scheduled to begin at 5:30 pm. The remainder of the meeting will follow an open house format. The proposed project will include a mill and overlay of the road, adding some sidewalk to improve pedestrian access and update curb ramps to meet ADA requirements. Other work includes spot curb and gutter repair, repairs to storm inlets and new pavement markings. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028.
SSM HEALTH FLU VACCINE CLINICS BEGINNING
The SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic is offering several seasonal flu vaccination clinics for adults and children. Those clinics are being held at SSM Health, clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies from early October to mid-November. Locations include Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac, Campbellsport, Fox Lake, Mayville, Mt. Calvary, Ripon, and Waupun. Some welcome walk-ins while others are available by appointment only. Missy Tate is SSM Health’s Administrator of Ambulatory Care at the Regional Clinic. She says they will kick off their clinics with a large clinic at the Lobby Concourse at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac next Tuesday through Thursday from 7 am to 6 pm each day. The large clinic is for those 9 years or older. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged. Call 920-907-3970 to make an appointment. Tate says COVID-19 vaccine is also available and you can get both at the same time. A complete list of the clinics is available at the SSM Health website.
GOLDEN DAYS HARVEST
The Green Lake Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Golden Days Harvest Fest Saturday and Sunday. It will feature a wide range of activities beginning at 10 am each day. Among the features are a craft fair, farmer’s market, petting zoo, face painting, bed races, antique tractor show, car show, food, music, and a parade. The parade will be on Saturday at 4 pm. This year’s theme is “Halloween.” Sunday will start off with the American Legion Post’s famous pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 am at the Legion building. A complete list of Golden Days Harvest Fest activities can be found at Visit Green Lake.com.
THRASHER CAUSE OF THE MONDAYS
Thrasher Opera House will benefit from Vines & Rushes’ Cause of the Mondays event on Monday, October 21st. Twenty-five percent of all food sales, along with any additional cash donations that night from 4 to 8 pm at the winery in Ripon will go directly to the Thrasher Opera House in Green Lake. As a premier performing arts center, Thrasher hosts various events, including concerts, theater productions, and community gatherings, featuring local and national artists. It is a cultural hub that supports local talent and enriches the community through arts education and outreach programs. Vines & Rushes Winery is situated on a family farm in Ripon.
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