1/28/25 Hometown Broadcasting News Tuesday
28 January 2025 News
FDL SEX OFFENDER BACK IN CUSTODY
Fond du Lac Police say a 55-year-old sex offender who cut off his GPS monitoring device yesterday and left Fond du Lac County is back in custody. Officers and Detectives learned Chad Maertz purchased a rental car. They entered the vehicle information into the Flock license plate recognition camera system. With assistance from Germantown Police, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies, and the State Patrol he was taken into custody at a Walmart in Germantown without incident. Maertz was convicted on December 18th, 2002 of attempted forceful abduction of a child for trying to kidnap a teenage girl in southeastern Fond du Lac County. In February of 2003 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He has been living at 99 West Division Street in Fond du Lac since August 2nd, 2023. (Fond du Lac Police photo)
FDL MAN SENTENCED FOR HIS ROLE IN FENTANYL OVERDOSE DEATH
A Fond du Lac County judge Monday sentenced a 47-year-old Fond du Lac man to 12 years in prison and 13 years of extended supervision on a first degree reckless homicide conviction. The sentence for Joshua Weber stems from a December 28th, 2020 fentanyl overdose death in the City of Fond du Lac. According to the criminal complaint Weber drove the victim down to Milwaukee to purchase drugs from a source Weber knew on Christmas Day of 2020. Weber later told investigators he took the victim there in return for free drugs. He stated he didn’t recall how much heroin they received and that it was probably fentanyl, not heroin. According to the Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner’s Office an autopsy found “Fentanyl toxicity/overdose with evidence of recent cocaine use.” The victim was a recovering drug addict and had been clean for approximately two months. District Attorney Eric Toney says it was an emotionally charged sentencing with family and friends of the victim bravely sharing the loss they continue to suffer.
MISSING WALWORTH COUNTY MAN FOUND IN GREEN LAKE COUNTY
Authorities found a missing 83-year-old Walworth County man safe in Princeton in Green Lake County Saturday morning. A Silver Alert was issued for Leonard Woodrick of Genoa City who is believed to have dementia or some other cognitive impairment. He left his residence about 12:30 Friday afternoon to go to a bank in Illinois and was supposed to return home at 4 pm. His vehicle was seen in Marquette County around 1 am Saturday morning and at 3:38 am that same morning in Green Lake County. He was located safe in Princeton.
WASHINGTON COUNTY FIRE
Fire damaged a home and attached garage on Highway 175 in Washington County’s Town of Hartford Sunday afternoon. A passerby called 911 to report flames coming out of the roof of the residence. Lawrence Fire Department and Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene. A state trooper got there first and confirmed visible flames coming from the garage area and smoke filling the residence. Dispatch was able to make phone contact with the owner to confirm no one was home. Fire crews were able to knock the fire down and contain the fire damage to the large attached garage. The living quarters of the residence remained mostly intact but sustained smoke damage. The area of the garage in which the fire is believed to have originated contained a wood burning furnace. The homeowner confirmed it was in use shortly before the fire was reported. Six fire departments battled the fire.
BUSY COUPLE OF DAYS FOR THE COLOMA FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Coloma Fire Department had a busy couple of days last week. Fire Chief Nate Sigourney on their Facebook page took time to thank those who supported them during their efforts. Thursday night they were paged for a structure fire in the Village of Hancock. A home was fully engulfed and there were brutally cold conditions. All the occupants made it safely out and no responders were injured. Friday afternoon they were paged out to the Village of Coloma for a house fire. They got there quickly because they were in the area on a different call. They found a home with heavy smoke from the second story that was caused from a chimney fire that extended to the roof and attic. They were able to keep the fire damage to the roof and second level. The home had extensive water damage. All occupants exited safely and no responders were injured. He says another cold day resulted in frozen hose lines. Although he didn’t cite causes for the fires he reminds residents to use portable heating devices properly and to inspect your chimneys often if burning wood.
OSHKOSH MAN ARRESTED FOR FOURTH OWI ARREST
The State Patrol arrested a 31-year-old Oshkosh man for his fourth operating a motor vehicle under the influence offense Sunday afternoon in Waupaca County. A supervisor with the State Patrol pulled over Christian Sandoval’s pickup truck on U.S. Highway 10 eastbound at Marsh Road for a speeding violation just before 4 o’clock. Sandoval showed signs of impairment and the subsequent investigation, including field sobriety tests, indicated he was under the influence. He was also cited for operating after revocation and failure to install an ignition interlock device.
RIPON COMMON COUNCIL CUTS TAXI SERVICE HOURS
By a 5 to 3 vote last night the Ripon Common Council cut back on the Ripon Taxi service hours particularly on weekends. A couple of cab operators and a resident who sees the service as an asset for the city spoke during a public hearing prior to the Council’s discussion and vote. At the end of 2023 the City was carrying over a financial deficit of more than $302,000 for the taxi service. City Administrator Adam Sonntag says the cost of operating the service has gone up while ridership has been declining since before the COVID pandemic. Seventy percent of the ridership for the taxi service is elderly, developmentally disabled, or physically disabled. Hours for the taxi service will be 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Friday, 8 am to 7 pm on Saturday, and 8 am to 1 pm on Sunday. The new hours go into effect on February 1st. The city will continue to look at ways to cut the deficit for the taxi service including doing a better job of marketing the service to increase ridership.
NEW REPRESENTATION
A New Year also means new representation for a number of residents who were previously represented by State Senator Joan Ballweg. With redistricting there was shifting and some of those previously represented by Ballweg in the 14th State Senate District are now represented by John Jagler who represents the 13th State Senate District. Jagler spent 20 years in radio, the last 15 working at WTMJ in Milwaukee. After that he became the Communications Director for State Representative Jeff Fitzgerald. Then he ran for a seat in the State Assembly and won it in 2012. He served there for several sessions and when State Senator Scott Fitzgerald was elected to Congress ran for and won Fitzgerald’s Senate seat representing the 13th. Jagler says after approval of redistricting maps this past year he has spent the last six months traveling the new 13th State Senate District getting to know its cities, towns and people.
BROADBAND EXPANSION RESOLUTIONS APPROVED
The Fond du Lac County Board rarely holds a meeting in January, but for the second year in a row they did. Normally there isn’t enough on the January agenda to warrant holding a meeting during the first month of the year, but County Executive Sam Kaufman says there were a couple resolutions they needed to pass at last week’s meeting. Both Bertram Communications and Hilbert Communications are applying for Broadband expansion grants that would in part lead to internet access improvement in the county. Kaufman says they needed the county to support their applications through the passing of a county resolution. The board did approve the two resolutions at last Tuesday’s meeting. Two other resolutions were approved allowing the county to accept funding for a couple of programs.
GREEN LAKE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS WORKING
Green Lake County Chief Deputy Sheriff Matt Vande Kolk says a post on their Facebook page about sign vandalism in the Town of Brooklyn generated some tips to the Green Lake County Crime Stoppers program. One sign in particular had been shot with a gun at Skunk Hollow Road and others had been removed. Vande Kolk says they got some tips to the Crime Stoppers line, which they appreciate. He says sign vandalism may not be a big crime, but damaging or removing a sign means it will have to be replaced at taxpayer expense and it could also cause unnecessary danger to drivers until the sign is replaced. Vande Kolk says knowing the Crime Stoppers line works gives them confidence the community will support them when they need tips on bigger crimes. Anyone with information about a crime can text GET THEM to 847411 or call the Green Lake County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-GET-THEM, that’s 1-800-438-8436.
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT MEETING
The DNR invites the public to join DNR staff tonight at the Shawano Middle School for the third meeting in a nine-part series focused on fisheries management in northeast Wisconsin. As part of a Spotlight Series that highlights various fisheries in Green Bay, the Winnebago System and inland waters in the northeast this meeting will focus on the trout habitat work in northeast Wisconsin with an in-depth look at the Brainard’s Bridge Project in Waupaca. During this meeting, DNR staff members will give a presentation on techniques used for fisheries habitat management and locations that have been improved in northeast Wisconsin. This will include summaries of recent projects and a discussion of upcoming work, leaving ample time to answer questions. The meeting will be held in person and virtually via Microsoft Teams from 6 to 8 pm. You can find more information including the Microsoft Teams registration info, on the DNR’s Meetings and Hearings calendar. (DNR photo).
Share |