5/19/25 Hometown Broadcasting News Monday
19 May 2025 News
GARAGE FIRE IN FDL
Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue responded to a garage fire at 172 North Seymour Street shortly before 10:30 Sunday morning. A passerby noticed smoke coming from the detached garage and called it in. Firefighters quickly knocked down the fire before it could spread to nearby exposures. No injuries were reported. The garage and its contents sustained fire and smoke damage. The fire was found to be caused by improperly discarded ashes from a fire pit that was used the night before. Fire Department officials say the incident is a good reminder to properly dispose of ashes and embers in a proper fire safe container. Ashes and embers from a fire pit can remain hot for several days after a fire.
CLICK IT OR TICKET BEGINS
The State Patrol joins law enforcement agencies across the state and nation stepping up seat belt enforcement and education during the national Click It or Ticket campaign that kicks off today and runs through Sunday, June 1st. A survey conducted in 2024 reported that approximately 89 percent of Wisconsin motorists wear a seat belt, a decrease from 92 percent in 2023. The Click It or Ticket campaign aims to improve this percentage and encourage more motorists to buckle up. One focus of the campaign is nighttime enforcement. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a higher number of unrestrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities happen at night. In 2023, 56 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night were not wearing their seat belts. The campaign coincides with next weekend’s Memorial Day holiday.
WAUTOMA MAN ACCUSED OF SOLICITING PROSTITUTION
A 35-year-old Wautoma man has been charged with two counts of solicitation of prostitution and one count of disorderly conduct for allegedly offering to pay women to have sex with him. Bond was set at $750 cash during a bond hearing for Joshua Frahm Friday in Waushara County Court. According to Wautoma Police charges stem from an incident at the Dollar General Store last Wednesday when Frahm allegedly approached two women in the store offering them money to have sex with him. When they declined the offer he left but returned offering even more money. One of them was able to provide a description of his vehicle. Based on that description police were able to find him and his vehicle in the Wautoma Kwik Trip parking lot. When police talked to him he told them he offered the women money because a farmer from Saxeville had offered to pay him to watch the sex acts. Police also learned from Dollar General employees Frahm may have approached other females in the area. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Wautoma Police. Frahm’s initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27th.
FOUR TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN DODGE COUNTY THURSDAY
The National Weather Service has confirmed four tornadoes touched down in Dodge County Thursday including two EF-2 tornadoes that caused so much damage in Juneau and Mayville. The first which started west of Juneau was an EF-2 tornado with a top speed of 120 miles an hour it was on the ground for 9.2 miles. The second started north of Juneau an EF-1 tornado with a top speed of 95 miles an hour was on the ground for 4 miles. The third near Mayville an EF-2 tornado with a top speed of 120 miles an hour was on the ground for 5 miles. The fourth southwest of Lomira was an EF-1 tornado with a top speed of 95 miles an hour it was on the ground for half-a-mile. Wisconsin has already seen 20 confirmed tornadoes this year compared to the annual average of 23.
DODGE COUNTY TORNADO RESPONSE
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says he is proud of the way the communities of Juneau and Mayville responded to devastating tornadoes in both communities Thursday. He says he didn’t see the tornadoes and in fact couldn’t see anything because of heavy rains on his way from Beaver Dam to Juneau that evening. Schmidt points out he was probably one of the first responders to hit Main Street in Juneau after the tornado went through. North Main Street was completely blocked by downed trees, homes were destroyed, and they had to help one person who couldn’t get out of their home. Schmidt says at some point they will hold a debriefing with the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office about how they handled things and what they may have done better. But he is very proud of the way they responded at every level of the Sheriff’s Department.
STATE HIGHWAY 91 PROJECT INFORMATION MEETING TODAY
The state’s Department of Transportation will hold a live, online construction information meeting today to discuss construction scope, schedule, and traffic impacts for a highway improvement project in Winnebago County. The nearly 15 mile project on State Highway 91 will extend from the west Winnebago County line to just west of State Highway 44. It’s a $9.1 million project. Meeting attendees will access the live Microsoft Teams meeting via the new State Highway 91 construction website. Project engineers will share construction maps, road closure information, detour displays, schedule of operations, and temporary signing permits for businesses impacted by road construction. The meeting is at 4 pm this afternoon.
Project Overview – WIS 91 – Winnebago County
NATIONAL EMS WEEK
Ripon Guardian Ambulance is celebrating National EMS Week. The theme for the week is “We Care for Everyone.” Ripon Guardian Ambulance EMS Chief Mitch Matuszeski says they will treat staff to some cake or goodies a few times this week to celebrate their EMS heritage. Each day this week they will also post a different healthcare topic on their Facebook page. In 1974, President Gerald Ford authorized EMS Week to celebrate EMS professionals and the important work they do in the nation’s communities. National Emergency Medical Services Week brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine’s frontline. Ripon Guardian Ambulance Service was established in 1977.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB TRI-COUNTY DRIVIN’ FORE THE CLUB
One of the popular fundraisers for the Boys & Girls Club of the Tri-County Area is coming up next month in Berlin. The Mascoutin Golf Club will be hosting the “Drivin’ Fore the Club” on Monday, June 9th. The cost is $125 per golfer or $500 for a foursome. Registration begins at 9 am with a shotgun start at 10:30. Complimentary cocktails will be served during the registration time. Boys & Girls Club Resource Development Coordinator Kassidy Walters says you get quite a bit that goes with that 18-holes of golf. It also includes a cart, boxed lunch, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, dinner, and a small program. She says you don’t have to be a skilled golfer to participate. Cocktails, dinner and the program will follow golf at 4 pm. During the event they will have a $10,000 appeal, which they have a match for if they can reach that level of donations. Walters says proceeds will benefit the club and its operations in Berlin, Green Lake, and Ripon. Those who would like to participate in the golf outing can register at the Boys & Girls Club website.
ATV/UTV SAFETY PROGRAM FUNDING
The State’s Department of Natural Resources is encouraging organizations that recruit and train all-terrain vehicle and utility terrain vehicle safety instructors and volunteer trail ambassadors to apply for funding to support their programs. Organizations are encouraged to apply for the two-year program by May 31st for up to $316,464 in funding annually. Eligible organizations must be registered with the Wisconsin Secretary of State’s office as a non-stock organization and have an established board of directors, with the majority of the board being members of an ATV/UTV club. Applicants must also provide a business plan detailing the methods they will use to promote the safe operation of ATVs and UTVs. Methods must not harm the environment nor conflict with laws, rules and DNR policies. To learn more about applying for the funding, visit the DNR’s ATV/UTV Enhancement Funding webpage.
ATV/UTV Safety Enhancement Funding | | Wisconsin DNR
SARAH HAGENOW CROWNED ALICE IN DAIRYLAND
Sarah Hagenow of Poynette was crowned the 78th Alice in Dairyland over the weekend. She will spend the next year working for the State’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection educating the public about the importance of agriculture in Wisconsin. Sarah is a senior at the University of Minnesota and will graduate with a degree in agriculture and food business management and a minor in international agriculture. She says serving as the 78th Alice in Dairyland is a dream come true. Hagenow was crowned the next Alice during the finals in Crawford County over the weekend. She begins her reign on July 7th succeeding the 77th Alice in Dairyland, Halei Heinzel of Oconomowoc.
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