10/22/24 Hometown Broadcasting News Tuesday
22 October 2024 News
BRIEF COURT APPEARANCES FOR BAUR AND VANG
The mother of Elijah Vue and her boyfriend made brief appearances in Manitowoc County court yesterday on charges stemming from the 3-year-old’s death. Katrina Baur waived her right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over for trial. Her arraignment was scheduled for October 30th. Jesse Vang who was entrusted with his care when the boy was reported missing was also supposed to have a preliminary hearing, but he doesn’t have a public defender yet. His hearing was rescheduled for Thursday afternoon. Baur faces two felony charges for chronic neglect of a child resulting in death and neglecting a child. Vang faces two felony charges of repeated acts of physical abuse of a child causing death, and hiding a corpse. Both Baur and Vang are being held in jail, Baur on a $400,000 cash bond and Vang on a $500,000 cash bond. Prosecutors suspect the toddler was threatened with extreme punishment before his death. The medical examiner’s office says Elijah’s cause of death is “homicide by unspecified means.”
BERLIN MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR 12TH OWI
A 53-year-old Berlin man was sentenced Monday in Waupaca County court to four years in prison for his 12th operating while intoxicated offense. In addition to the prison term Scott Hein has to pay $1,000 fine, he will be placed on extended supervision for five years, then three years’ probation, and his driver’s license was suspended for three years. According to the criminal complaint police were called to a Hardee’s in Waupaca on March 25th of 2023 after a worker at the restaurant’s drive-through noticed “open intoxicants” in Hein’s car, plus Hein was slurring his speech leading the employee to believe he may be intoxicated. When an officer arrived the officer saw several empty beer cans and bottles in Hein’s vehicle. Hein told the officer he had two beers in Manawa about four hours earlier. Hein’s OWI convictions date back to 1990 the most recent was in 2013. He was sentenced to four years in prison for that conviction.
PRISON EMPLOYEE SUSPECTED OF HAVING SEX WITH CCI INMATE
A civilian employee of Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage is facing charges for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an inmate and smuggling in contraband to that inmate. Twenty-nine-year-old Gabrielle Gavinski of Endeavor is charged with second degree sexual assault by correctional staff, trafficking marijuana, and delivering illegal articles to an inmate. She made her initial appearance in Columbia County Court Monday and was released on a $25,000 signature bond. She will be back in court next month. Officials at the prison received information about the relationship and they contacted the Sheriff’s Office last Thursday. The subsequent investigation led to Gavinski’s arrest. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be requested. (Columbia County Jail photo).
HIGHWAY 116 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY COMPLETED
The state’s Department of Transportation tells us construction to improve nearly 2 miles of State Highway 116 in Winnebago County has been completed. Specifically, the highway from the village of Winneconne’s east limits to U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Winneconne was improved during the $1.3 million project. The project began September 11th and finished on time and on budget. Project improvements included resurfacing which included milling existing pavement and overlaying with new asphalt pavement. It also included a full-depth repair of roughly 300 feet along the eastbound lanes of State Highway 116 east of Harbour South Drive.
STUFF THE SQUAD
The Waushara County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Waushara County Food Pantry this week for a “Stuff the Squad” event. All food collected with be given to the Waushara County Food Pantry. Items can be dropped off in front of the Waushara County Sheriff’s Office in Wautoma between 8 am and 4 pm. Donations will be accepted through Friday. Items needed include; peanut butter, jelly, cans of cream soups such as chicken and mushroom, canned meat such as chicken and tuna, dry potato mixes, cranberry sauce, pudding and jello, canned fruit, cereal, and canned stew and chili.
PERTUSSIS CONCERNS
Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller urges parents to make sure their children are up-to-date on their vaccinations especially for pertussis or whooping cough. As of the end of last month Wisconsin had confirmed 849 cases, impacting 54 counties since January 1st. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness. According to Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services, 42 percent of the cases involve adolescents aged 11 to 18 years. Mueller says pertussis spreads very quickly. Mueller says symptoms of pertussis are similar to a cold, but if your child has a runny nose, fever, or cough you might want to check with your doctor’s office. They may be able to treat your child without having them come in for a visit. More information about pertussis is available at the the state’s Department of Health Services’ website.
Immunizations: Whooping Cough (Pertussis) | Wisconsin Department of Health Services
CONGRESSMAN GROTHMAN ON KILLING OF HAMAS LEADER
Congressman Glenn Grothman says it is hard to shed any tears for the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Last Thursday Israel said troops in Gaza killed Sinwar. Friday a top Hamas political official confirmed the death. Grothman says Sinwar was indiscriminate in the killing of women and children and was the mastermind in the attack on October 7th that led to war. Sinwar rose to the top after the previous Hamas leader was killed in an explosion in August. Congressman Grothman hopes that the next leader of Hamas will be more reasonable, but he says it is unlikely.
ENVISION TAKING ORDERS FOR HOLIDAY GIFT BOXES
The Envision Greater Fond du Lac Agi-Business Council Gift Box fundraiser is taking orders for holiday gift boxes stuffed with treats from area producers. There are four boxes to choose from ranging in price from $30 to $100 depending on the variety of contents in each box. Envision President and CEO Sadie Howell says not only is it a unique gift for the holidays, but it also supports small businesses from Fond du Lac County. Ultimately the proceeds support the Agricultural Ambassador or Ag in the Classroom program they offer to schools throughout the county. Orders for the boxes will be accepted through December 6th and they will ship to all 48 states in the Continental United States. More details can be found on Envision’s Events page on Envision’s website.
WINNING IN WISCONSIN
The Fox Valley Workforce Development Board offers its latest Winning with Wisconsin workforce event from 8 to 10 am on Wednesday, November 13th at Fox Valley Technical College Riverside Campus in Oshkosh. The two-hour educational session is free, and breakfast will be provided, but registration is required, which can be accomplished online at Eventbrite.com. The session will feature Maria Flores who recently retired from a distinguished 30-year career at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Maria will help attendees discover how to recognize and value the diversity of today’s labor force, how to identify potentially discriminatory barriers faced by diverse workers/communities, and more.
Winning with Wisconsin’s Workforce: Fox Valley Tickets, Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM | Eventbrite
RASD STUDENTS DO WELL IN STATE ASSESSMENT TESTING
Ripon Area School District students did better than the state average in state assessment testing. Testing included the Wisconsin Forward Exam, the ACT, and Dynamic Learning Maps. According to data provided by the school district third through eighth graders were 58.1 percent proficient in the Forward English Language Arts testing compared to the state average of 51.1 percent proficient. In Forward Math testing the third through eighth graders were 56.5 percent proficient compared to the state average of 55.7 percent. In pre-ACT Secure ELA testing 9th and 10th graders were 51.3 percent proficient compared to the state average of 44.2 percent. In pre-ACT Secure Math testing 9th and 10th graders were 56 percent proficient compared to the state average of 45.9 percent. In ACT ELA testing 11th graders were 56.6 percent proficient compared to the state average of 41.8 percent. In ACT Math testing 11th graders were 48.7 percent proficient compared to the state average of 38.9 percent. More complete data on how Ripon students did in the state assessments is available at the Ripon Area School District website.
2024 Assessment Data Press Release.pdf
OPEN HOUSE AT THE WILD ROSE FISH HATCHERY SATURDAY
The state’s Department of Natural Resources will have an open house at the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery this Saturday. The open house at the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery’s education center is 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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