4/10/25 Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday
10 April 2025 News
OSHKOSH POLICE ARREST FDL MAN ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES
Oshkosh Police detectives arrested a 26-year-old Fond du Lac man late Tuesday night for numerous human trafficking charges involving a teenage girl. He was found in a business parking lot in the 200 block of West 20th Avenue and taken into custody. A detective posing as the victim communicated with the suspect via the victim’s social media account and arranged to meet with him. The man wanted to meet with the victim for sex. Detectives learned the man had met with the victim for sex on several different occasions. He was arrested on three counts of soliciting a child for prostitution and three counts of human trafficking of a child. A search warrant was issued for the suspect’s residence in Fond du Lac County. As a result of the search warrant, numerous electronic devices were seized. The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office assisted in execution of the warrant.
RIPON COMMON COUNCIL APPROVES CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
After much discussion Tuesday night the Ripon Common Council on a close 5 to 3 vote approved a certificate of appropriateness for a window replacement project in the downtown historic district. The project at 107 ½ Watson Street was in the fall of 2023 and replacement was by Infinity Exteriors which has done a number of similar projects on Watson Street. The windows weren’t quite up to the standards as defined by the city’s Historic Preservation Ordinance. Council members felt the building owner had done her best to comply and paid $12,000 to have the windows replaced. The contractor admitted making an error on the project and the city had a different building inspector who signed off on the project at the time. The Council held a public hearing about the certificate during their meeting. On March 5th the Historic Preservation Commission had denied the certificate of appropriateness. The Council ultimately makes a decision on whether or not to issue a certificate and approved it. Council member John Splitt who chairs the Historic Preservation Commission was one of the no votes. He felt the Council’s approval of the certificate would mean others won’t follow the historic preservation guidelines down the road. The building owner has been doing business in the city for 52 years.
HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVE LAUNCHED IN FDL
Fond du Lac Police and the St. Katharine Drexel Shelter in Fond du Lac have announced a collaboration to help homeless individuals and families. It is called the Drexel Outreach Response Program. Here’s how it works, dispatch will identify calls that don’t require a traditional police response and notify the Drexel Outreach Case Manager to respond. Police officers will be paired with trained case managers from the Drexel Outreach Response Team to respond together to these calls. Additionally, there will be a number of calls where the response team will be able to respond without law enforcement, allowing for an approach focused solely on providing the necessary support and resources to individuals in need. The program will address needs such as food, shelter, and medical care-while providing long-term support to help individuals transition to permanent solutions. The initiative was launched on March 3rd. (Fond du Lac Police Department photo).
SEX OFFENDER RELEASED IN BEAVER DAM
A 45-year-ol sex offender was paroled from prison Tuesday and is now living at 109-1/2 Elm Street in Beaver Dam. Larry Fisher will be monitored closely by agents who specialize in intensive supervision. In June of 1997 Fisher was convicted in Milwaukee County of second degree sexual assault of a child and second degree sexual assault. In March of 2004 he was convicted in Dodge County of second degree sexual assault. His victims in the latter case were a minor female and adult male. Fisher will continue to participate in long-term programming while on extended supervision. He must also adhere to specific rules including no contact with his victims, no unsupervised contact with minors, and he cannot consume drugs.
SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS TAKING SHELTER
As part of Tornado and Severe Weather Awareness Week there will be two statewide drills today at 1:45 and 6:45 pm. For radio listeners it will sound like a weekly EAS test and some counties will sound outdoor sirens including Fond du Lac County. Fond du Lac County Emergency Management Director John Ross says those drills are a time when you should practice or at least consider what your emergency plans are. He says know where you should take shelter whether you are at home, school, work, or in your vehicle. The best place to be is in a basement or the lowest level of a building. If there is no basement interior hallways away from windows or bathrooms and closets can be good places to shelter. Mobile homes are not safe. If you are in your vehicle seek shelter in a sturdy building and if that is not an option a low-lying spot such as a ditch and lay flat covering your head with your hands. Do not shelter under bridges and overpasses as they can be unsafe due to flying debris.
Wisconsin Severe Weather Awareness Week is April 7-11, 2025 | Wisconsin Emergency Management
SPRING FISH AND WILDLIFE HEARINGS
The Wisconsin Conservation Congress and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources invite the public to attend spring hearings next Monday at 6 pm to learn about resource management through the annual Fish and Wildlife Spring Hearing process. Additionally an online opportunity for public input will be available from 7 pm Monday through 6 pm next Wednesday. DNR staff and WCC delegates will be on hand at these spring hearings to discuss local issues of importance, answer questions from the public and open a dialogue between the public, the DNR and the WCC about areas of interest and concern. The WCC will also hold their delegate elections at each meeting. Two of the five WCC seats will be up for election in each county. Finally, the public is invited to provide feedback on a variety of fish, wildlife and other natural resources-related topics as part of the spring hearing process. The public is encouraged to provide input online from 7 pm Monday through 6 pm next Wednesday. For those who prefer to do so in person, a number of paper ballots will be available at each in-person meeting. Specific location details are available online for meetings in each county.
ANNUAL SPRING HEARING AND PUBLIC INPUT OPPORTUNITY | Wisconsin Conservation Congress | Wisconsin DNR
NATIONAL HEALTHCARE DECISIONS DAY
SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac is highlighting the importance of advance healthcare decision making during National Healthcare Decisions Day next Wednesday. SSM Health will be providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends, and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives like healthcare power of attorney and living wills. Deb Toth is an Advanced Care Planning Specialist with SSM Health she says if you plan to execute a healthcare power of attorney at the event make sure you have at least three people in mind you would want to make decisions for you when you can’t and have their contact information. SSM Health will put on a presentation next Wednesday as part of the Ripon Senior Activity Center’s Lunch and Learn program and have someone sticking around a couple of hours after. Hours are from 11:30 am to 3 pm but if you’re going to have lunch you need to make a reservation by calling 920-471-1636. They will also have people that day at the Fond du Lac Family YMCA from 7:30 to 11 am, St. Agnes Hospital from 9:30 am to 2 pm, and the Waupun Community Center from 11 am to 1:30 pm.
LAKELAND CARE GROWING
Lakeland Care continues its growth and has picked up accolades as well. Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Lakeland Care is a non-profit organization that provides long-term care coordination and support to eligible, frail elders and adults with disabilities through Wisconsin’s Family Care Program. Molly Burke is a Business Development Manager for Lakeland Care. She says the support they provide through the Family Care Program allows frail elders to continue to live at home. She notes at beginning of the year they added 9 nine more counties to their service area and now serve 31 counties and more than 7,200 members. They were recently honored by USA Today with a Top Workplace Award and opened a new office in Madison. Burke says anyone interested in finding out if they are eligible for Lakeland Care should go through their County’s Aging and Disabilities Resource Center first. Anyone who wants more information about Lakeland Care should visit their website or call them at 920-906-5100.
Wisconsin Managed Care Organization | Lakeland Care
HERB KOHL FELLOWSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNERS
The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation recently announced the 114 Wisconsin teachers and administrators selected as recipients of its 2025 Teacher Fellowship and Principal Leadership awards. The distinguished educators are being recognized for their exceptional leadership, dedication to students, and commitments to educational excellence. This year, 100 teachers will receive Teacher Fellowship awards of $6,000. Additionally, 14 principals, will be honored with Principal Leadership awards of $6,000. Among the winning teachers is Adrienne Rice of Waupaca who teaches at the Weyauwega High School. Among the winning principals is Brandon Krause of Beaver Dam a principal at Prairie View Elementary School in Beaver Dam.
HK_Principals_2025_by_CESA.pdf
MONEY SMART WISCONSIN SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institutions in partnership with Edvest 529, Wisconsin’s direct-sold 529 college savings plan, and the Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt Wednesday announced this year’s Money Smart Wisconsin Scholarship Contest recipients. Fifteen Wisconsin high school seniors will receive a scholarship, in the form of a $1,000 contribution to a new or existing Edvest 529 account. Those students were awarded the scholarship based on their winning essay submission on how they plan to finance their college education and career training. Nine of the 15 scholarship recipients are first-generation college students. One of the winners was Rubi Jo Mulder who goes to Central Wisconsin Christian School in Waupun.
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