10/14/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Monday
14 October 2024 News
STANDOFF IN MENASHA
Police responding to a burglary alarm at a business in the 1600 block of Appleton Road in Menasha Sunday morning found a man inside armed with a large samurai sword. There was broken glass when officers arrived shortly before 7:30 am and they saw the man inside. Efforts to negotiate with the 34-year-old Menasha man were unsuccessful so the Winnebago County Sheriff’s SWAT team was brought in. Their efforts also proved fruitless. Meanwhile the man moved around the business with the sword and armed himself with other items. He also destroyed property. When he came to the door, he was ordered to exit the business but refused. He was taken into custody after a K9 was deployed. A number of charges have been referred against him to the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office. The State Patrol and police departments from Neenah, Fox Crossing, and Appleton also provided assistance.
OSHKOSH MAN CHARGED IN HIT AND RUN DEATH
Bond has been set at $20,000 cash for a 21-year-old Oshkosh man charged with hit-and-run involving death. Drake Dodge made his initial appearance in Winnebago County Court Friday on the charge stemming from the October 5th accident. According to the criminal complaint a man was found lying in the road just before 3 am that Saturday morning in the area of New York Avenue and Algoma Boulevard in Oshkosh. Another driver spotted the victim lying in the road, stopped her car and called 911. When first responders arrived they performed CPR, but the man died at the scene. Later that morning, accompanied by his parents, Dodge turned himself in. He admitted to police hitting the man. He said he stopped for a second. Dodge told police he made the dumb decision to drive away instead of calling in the accident. He also admitted to drinking earlier in the evening, but felt he was fine to drive. He will be back in court Thursday morning.
FIREFIGHTER CANCER
Waupun Fire Department Chief B.J. DeMaa says fire and smoke aren’t the only things firefighters have to worry about when they enter a burning building. He says synthetic materials used for construction and furnishings these days can produce toxic smoke, which has contributed to the rise in cancer rates they’ve seen in firefighters. He says those in the field of firefighting are still trying to grasp how big a number they are talking about. DeMaa notes anytime a firefighter has to put on SCBA or self-contained breathing apparatus gear they wash that equipment thoroughly after the fire. Once a year they also bring in a company they professionally cleans, sanitizes, and disinfects seats in their fire truck. DeMaa says open concept construction and lightweight construction materials have also made fires more dangerous.
OSHKOSH WHEEL TAX
While Ripon considers a wheel tax, Oshkosh is one of the 41 cities in Wisconsin that already has one. Oshkosh Common Councilman Jacob Floam says one of his concerns about implementing a wheel tax was making sure that the money generated from it was going toward improving roads. Floam says at the end of the year as they deal with their budget he would like to see the financials for the city’s wheel tax and shared revenue from the state for road maintenance to see if the two are being used effectively. Oshkosh residents have to pay $35 a year for each vehicle registered with the state. Floam says one thing he would like to see is the state legislature consider removing an exemption from the wheel tax for vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds. He says heavier vehicles do more damage to our roads than passenger vehicles.
REPRESENTATIVE DALLMAN ON BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB GRANT
State Representative Alex Dallman of Green Lake says he’s proud to have fought for the Non-State Grant Program in the state budget and is particularly proud that the Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area was awarded funding to build a new facility in Ripon. The State Building Commission last week approved a $551,000 grant for the Boys & Girls Club. Dallman who is running for reelection for what will be the 39th State Assembly District says, “The Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area makes a lasting impact in our community.” He added he’s seen firsthand the lasting impact the club has in the region. The state budget included $50 million for non-state organizations to build local projects.
WAUPUN SCULPTURE PURCHASE CHALLENGE
National Rivet and Manufacturing Company in Waupun has pledged a match of up to $15,500 for the purchase of the sculpture We Can Do It. The sculpture currently is part of a five-sculpture exchange program in Waupun that brought the sculptures to the city for a year. The sculpture depicts a young Rosie the Riveter celebrating the contribution women made to manufacturing during World War II. Jeni Mali is the founder of the nonprofit Create Waupun whose mission is to obtain sculptures and murals for the betterment of the city. She organized the effort to bring the sculptures from Eau Claire to Waupun. All five are available for purchase, but Waupun is interested primarily in the We Can Do It sculpture depicting Rosie. Mali says they’ve already raised over $6,000 toward the match from National Rivet. She believes girls and women could find inspiration from the Rosie sculpture. Those who would like to donate toward the purchase of the sculpture can drop off checks at Horicon Bank in Waupun made out to Create Waupun. There also is a link on the city’s website.
SSM HEALTH DIALYSIS CENTER OPENING
SSM Health, along with Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce ambassadors and city leaders, celebrated the official opening of the new SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital Dialysis Center. It is located at 2100 Kellom Road Unit A in Beaver Dam. A ribbon cutting celebration was held Thursday. Among those attending were Beaver Dam mayor Mike Wissell, Beaver Dam City Administrator Nathan Thiel, Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Tracy Propst and chamber ambassadors, and WDS Construction president Ben Westra. A number of SSM Health officials were also on hand. It was a $2.5 million project. The 7,900-square-foot facility features 16 patient care stations and one isolation station for high-risk patients. SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital has the capacity to treat up to 64 patients per week.
SPEAKER TABBED FOR ANNUAL EAA BANQUET
Paul Dye, the longest-serving flight director in NASA history, is this year’s featured guest speaker at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet on Friday, December 13th at the EAA Aviation Museum. Tickets for the event are currently available at the EAA Aviation Museum website. Attendance is limited to 350. As the longest-serving NASA flight director in history, Dye was in a leadership position for 38 space shuttle missions, nine of which he served as the lead flight director. Dye spent 20 years in the center seat of Mission Control. Tickets for the Wright Brother’s Memorial Banquet are $75 for EAA members and $95 for nonmembers. Doors will open at 5 pm that evening, with the dinner starting at 6:30, and the presentation immediately following dinner.
Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet | December 8, 2023 | EAA Aviation Museum
STRUCTURE OF YPF AWARDS CHANGED
Along with its rebranding early this year, the Young Professionals of Fond du Lac is updating its longstanding Future 5 Awards and Young Professional of the Year Award structure. After being intertwined since 2013, YPF’s Advisory Council voted to separate the Future 5 and Young Professional of the Year Awards moving forward. Now, the Young Professional of the Year Award will be given to the individual who most promoted and assisted the Young Professionals of Fond du Lac program and will follow the same nomination process as Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s Annual Awards. The Future 5 Award nomination process and annual event will remain the same, only without the additional recognition of the Young Professional of the Year Award. Young Professionals of Fond du Lac is an Envision Greater Fond du Lac program for young professionals from 21 to 40 years old.
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