4/11/25 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
11 April 2025 News
COMPETENCY EVALUATION FOR FDL MAN SUSPECTED OF RECKLESS HOMICIDE
A competency evaluation has been granted for the 67-year-old Fond du Lac man suspected of intentionally swerving his vehicle into the path of a motorcyclist leading to the death of the bike’s operator. Elijah “Eli” Sowin died of his injuries at a hospital after his motorcycle crashed into the driver’s side of Mark Snider’s vehicle on March 28th. Snider is charged with second-degree reckless homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety. He was in Fond du Lac County Court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. His lawyer asked for the competency evaluation which will be performed in the next 30 days. After that a competency hearing will be scheduled. Snider remains in custody on a $100,000 cash bond. Charges against Snider are based on evidence collected at the scene and witness statements.
GARY DAY MAKES APPEARANCE IN NEBRASKA COURTROOM
The 40-year-old Arkansas man who took a pregnant 17-year-old Beaver Dam girl across state lines waived his extradition to Wisconsin during a hearing yesterday in Sarpy County, Nebraska. Gary Day, who is believed to be the father of Sophia Franklin’s unborn child, pled not guilty to charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and false reporting on the Nebraska charges. During the same hearing he waived his extradition to Wisconsin and Arkansas. He is facing charges for child abduction and enticement in Dodge County and in Arkansas a charge of interference with custody. The court accepted his waiver in both cases and ordered Day held without bond. Whether Day will be extradited to Wisconsin or Arkansas first is unknown. Sophia just turned 17, she was 16-years-old when an Amber Alert was issued for her and Day on February 3rd. Day is back in a Nebraska courtroom on April 24th for a status review and a pretrial conference is scheduled for June 5th.
ITEMS BEING STOLEN FROM UNLOCKED VEHICLES IN HORICON
Horicon Police are asking residents to lock their vehicle doors to deter theft of items left in them. The Department has been investigating a string of thefts where the suspect gained entry into unlocked vehicles and took items left behind by their owners. The thefts have been occurring during the overnight hours into the early morning. Items have only been taken from unlocked vehicles so it is a crime of opportunity for the suspect.
TIM HEIMAN SELECTED AS OSHKOSH FIRE CHIEF
The Oshkosh Police and Fire Commission have selected Tim Heiman as the community’s next Fire Chief. He is currently a Division Chief of Training for the Oshkosh Fire Department. City Manager Rebecca Grill says she is pleased with the Police and Fire Commission’s decision. Heiman has had a number of roles with the Oshkosh Fire Department and in 2022 was recognized as the Wisconsin Society of Emergency Services Instructor of the Year. He says he is honored to be chosen as the next Chief of the Oshkosh Fire Department and added, “I look forward to working with our firefighters, city staff, and community stakeholders to continue to provide dedicated service to the citizens of Oshkosh.” He was one of five finalists and two internal candidates for the Chief’s position. The Oshkosh Police and Fire Commission will formally approve and swear in Heiman at an upcoming meeting.
MURRAY PARK INFIELD RENOVATION PROJECT
Bids for the renovation of the infields at the Murray Park Quad ball fields in Ripon came in higher than expected. The Common Council this week approved a low-bid of $95,200 from Hutchinson Property Services of Sturgeon Bay. The City had budgeted $75,000 for the project and a boiler replacement project for City Hall will be delayed to make up the difference in cost. Proposed improvements to the infields will address persistent turf and maintenance issues, enhance field safety, and allow for greater flexibility in field use. The next lowest bid for the project was $223,600 so Council members had questions about the disparity in pricing and why Hutchinson was able to do it for a much lower price. Parks and Recreation Director Ashton Zeien told the Council she had checked with a number of schools and cities that had work done by the firm and they were all pleased with the outcome of their projects. Once the project starts it is expected to be completed in four days.
NFL DRAFT SCAMS LODGINGS
With the NFL Draft in Green Bay less than two weeks away scammers are also gearing up for the unique event that could draw up to 250,000 people to Titletown. Michelle Reinen is the Administrator for the State’s Division of Trade and Consumer Protection. She says those who plan to stay over for the event that haven’t secured their lodging yet need to be especially careful. She says those searching for lodging on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar sites could run across fake listings posted by scammers. She recommends cross referencing listings to see if it is listed on more than one site using the same photo. She also suggests once you have an address for the lodging verify it in a map search to make sure it matches the photo in the listing. She also says it’s a good idea to research the property owner or lister’s name with words like complaint, scam, or reviews online to see what pops up.
GALLSTONE SURGERY
A surgeon with SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac says they’ve seen Gallbladder surgery become more common over the years. Dr. Horace Lo who see patients at Ripon Community Hospital says for general surgeons Gallbladder surgery has become the second most common surgery. The Gallbladder is a nonessential organ that aids in the digestive process. Over time crystal like structures can form called gallstones. Dr. Lo says it is much easier to remove the entire Gallbladder than gallstones and the process usually only takes a day between the surgery and your return home. Classic symptoms for gallstones are upper abdominal pain that is sharp or crampy within an hour of eating. He says an ultrasound will usually tell them if it is gallstones. Dr. Lo takes referrals from primary care physicians but can also be contacted at 920-745-3540.
DOC FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEETING
Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Jared Hoy along with much of the agency’s leadership team met with more than 40 friends and family members of inmates Wednesday at the Kolb Center on the Fox Lake Correctional Institution campus. The meeting-a DOC Friends and Family Forum-is the first in a series of efforts designed to continue improving communications between the department and the loved ones of inmates and clients on supervision. Hoy says, “Family and friends play a huge role in determining whether an individual succeeds in the community.” Attendees were broken into small groups to discuss topics such as strengthening families, treatment and health care, classification and life in DOC facilities, complaint systems, and reentry. DOC staff was present to listen and to take note of suggestions. After the discussions, Hoy was able to answer some of the questions friends and family submitted in advance on topics ranging from accountability to phone service from vendors to visitation. In the coming days, DOC will post the answers to additional questions on the friends and family webpage.
STAKEHOLDERS SOUGHT FOR WOLF ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The state’s Department of Natural Resources is seeking qualified stakeholder applicants to serve on the DNR’s Wolf Advisory Committee. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, May 4th at 11:59 pm. The purpose of the committee is to assist the DNR with the implementation of the Wisconsin Wolf Management Plan. Approved in 2023, the plan details the objectives, strategies, and products that will help guide wolf conservation and management efforts in the state. The committee provides input and recommendations to the DNR on various topics. The ten stakeholder seats will be divided evenly among five stakeholder categories with two seats for each group. Those categorical groups include Hunting and Trapping, Agricultural and Ranching, Environmental, Conservation Science and Education, and At-Large. The link to apply can be found on the DNR’s Wolves in Wisconsin webpage under the Advisory Committee tab.
Wolves in Wisconsin | | Wisconsin DNR
MURRAY PARK TRAIL BUNNY HOP TOMORROW
Things will be hopping at Murray Park in Ripon tomorrow as children ages 2 to 10 years old participate in the Murray Park Trail Bunny Hop. It is from 10 to 11:30 am. The Ripon Parks and Recreation Department and Ripon Early Bird Kiwanis are partnering on the fun event. It will start with an Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Ripon Early Bird Kiwanis at 10 am. Each age group will be assigned to one of the four different baseball diamonds for the hunt. Joan Karsten of the Kiwanis says the Easter Bunny will be there and it is fun to watch kids interact with the Bunny. Parks and Recreation Director Ashton Zeien says after the hunt children can hop along the Murray Park Trail to visit booths and collect additional goodies for their baskets. Details on the Easter Egg hunt and parking can be found on the Parks and Recreation Facebook page.
OASD EDUCATION FOUNDATION GALA
The Oshkosh Area School District Education Foundation invites community members to purchase tickets by April 23rd for its third annual Fundraising Gala. Set for Friday, May 2nd at The Waters, proceeds from this Derby Day-themed celebration will benefit vital athletic programs, co-curricular activities, and adapted sports that enhance students’ educational experiences throughout the district. Following the tremendous success of previous galas-which raised nearly $110,000 for fine arts in 2023 and over $102,000 for career and technical education in 2024—the Foundation aims to make this year’s event more impactful for student-athletes and competitive programs. Tickets are $100 per person with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting student programs. Tickets can be purchased online.
Buy Tickets for the 2025 Gala | Donate | Mightycause
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