5/23/25 Hometown Broadcasting News Friday
23 May 2025 News
PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION REVERSES DISMANTLING OF US EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and a coalition of states and others secured a court order on Thursday that will, for now, reverse the Trump Administration’s targeted destruction of the U.S. Department of Education. The preliminary injunction granted by a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts bars the administration from carrying out President Trump’s directives to shut down the department, implement mass layoffs, and transfer management of federal student loans and special education function outside of the department. The court order additionally requires the department to reinstate federal employees whose employment was terminated or otherwise eliminated as part of the reduction-in-force. Kaul says, “While this case is far from over, this ruling is a clear victory for students in Wisconsin.”
05-22-2025-us-doe-preliminary-injunction.pdf
ROSENDALE BRANDON SCHOOL DISTRICT BIDS FAREWELL TO TWO SCHOOLS
It was a bittersweet day for the Rosendale-Brandon School District Thursday with the last day of school. Due to construction work from a successful referendum the school schedule started and ended earlier this school year. Yesterday was also the final day classes will ever be held at Rosendale Primary and Brandon Elementary School. The District will consolidate down to two schools next fall in the former Rosendale Intermediate, which will become Laconia Elementary, and Laconia High School. Rosendale-Brandon Schools Superintendent Wayne Weber says they had open houses at Rosendale Primary and Brandon Elementary recently to allow people to have one last look at the schools and say their goodbyes. Weber says at the same time they are celebrating the future of the district with the consolidation bringing students, staff and the community closer together. Renovations to the two remaining schools will be finished this summer with the first day of school on Tuesday, September 2nd.
GROTHMAN BILL WOULD ELIMINATE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT
Republican Congressmen Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin and Paul Gosar of Arizona have introduced the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Elimination Act. The bill will repeal the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Congressman Grothman says the credit is another way for developers to get rich, while hardworking taxpayers foot the bill. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says, “We need to stop throwing money at a broken system and instead focus on reducing supply constraints that make it so difficult to build affordable housing in the first place.” Currently, the federal government provides a tax credit through the program to developers to subsidize the construction and rehabilitation of housing units with income limits and rent caps for eligible tenants. The tax credit subsidies cover roughly 70 percent of the cost of qualified housing projects. A 2009 study found for a large sample of projects that the construction costs per square foot of the projects were 20 percent higher than for average industry projects.
ALLOWING GREATER ACCESS TO SCHOOLS
State Senator John Jagler says two bills that passed through his Senate Education Committee recently would allow scouts and military recruiters, greater access to our schools. The state lawmaker from Watertown says boy and girl scouts have seen declining numbers over the years and one of the reasons is because they aren’t allowed in our schools. Lawyers for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards advised that allowing them in schools could open up districts to potential lawsuits or pave the way for other groups to gain access. Meanwhile Jagler is backing a bill by State Representative William Penterman, who is in the Army Reserve. By federal law schools have to allow military recruiters in their schools twice a year. Jagler says unfortunately some schools are counting visits by recruiters who have legitimate reasons for visiting a school to count as one of those visits. Jagler says scouts and military recruiters should be allowed greater access to schools for career fairs or other programs.
CONGRESSMAN WIED PAYS TRIBUTE TO WAUPACA COUNTY SHERIFF WILZ
Wisconsin Congressman Tony Wied recently paid tribute to Waupaca County Sheriff Timothy Wilz on the House floor. Wied took the opportunity to thank Wilz for three decades of service in law enforcement. Wilz began with the Manawa Police Department in 1991 and joined the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office as a corrections officer in 1995, eventually being elected Sheriff in 2018. Wied said Wilz is a true inspiration to everyone. The 8th District Congressman said it was fitting that Wilz three decade anniversary in law enforcement fell during National Police Week. Wied says he’s gotten to know Sheriff Wilz over the past year and respects the service Wilz provides Waupaca County. Congressman Wied’s comments were carried on CSPAN and are posted on the Congressman’s and the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Facebook pages.
SSM HEALTH TREFFERT STUDIOS
An official with SSM Health Treffert Studios in Fond du Lac says the studios fill a unique gap in services the Treffert Centers couldn’t for those on the Autism Spectrum. Sarah Kaiser is the supervisor for the Treffert Studios located at 231 North National Avenue. She says their studios are tailored for teens and young adults who may have special skills and talents. She says on one hand they teach daily living skills and on the clinical side offer psychotherapy, psychiatry, and occupational therapy. The studios also provide an outlet for being creative through the arts. Kaiser says it is estimated that 1 in 37 or 38 Americans are living with some form of Autism. To learn more, call the Treffert Studios at 920-926-8100.
JOBLESS RATES DOWN IN APRIL
Unemployment rates decreased in 69 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties last month and increased in the remaining three. According to Federal Labor statistics the jobless rate was down slightly in Dodge County to 2.6 percent, 2.8 percent in Winnebago County, and 2.9 percent in Fond du Lac County. It remained under 4 percent in other counties including Waupaca County which had a 3.3 percent unemployment rate, Green Lake County with a 3.6 percent rate, and Waushara County which had a rate of 3.8 percent. Jobless rates were also lower in the cities of Oshkosh and Fond du Lac in April with rates of 2.8 and 3.3 percent respectively.
HONOR FLIGHT RETURNS TO AIRVENTURE
One of the most emotional and touching moments of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh each year will return this summer as 100 Vietnam War vets will take a Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight to Washington D.C., on July 25th as part of AirVenture’s annual salute to veterans. Veterans from the Vietnam War will be honored as they travel to the nation’s capital to tour war memorials at no cost to them. The veterans will return to Oshkosh at the conclusion of the Friday afternoon air show and thousands of people will welcome them back home and give them the recognition they deserve. This is the 11th year that the Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight has originated at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh under the auspices of Old Glory Honor Flight of Appleton. That nonprofit organization has organized dozens of Honor Flights since 2009 with a dedicated group of volunteers. Those flights have included special flights to Pearl Harbor and to Vietnam. The 72nd annual Experiment Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 21st through the 27th at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
DONATION MADE TOWARD MORAINE PARK WEST BEND CAMPUS
Westbury Bank has committed $25,000 to Moraine Park Technical College’s capital campaign to fund advanced equipment for the expanded Manufacturing and Trades center at the West Bend Campus. Jerad Yapp, senior vice president and chief community banking officer at Westbury Bank says they are proud to support Moraine Park’s Advanced Manufacturing Center. The $2 million equipment campaign, launched in 2023, is focused on supplying Moraine Park’s upgraded training spaces with state-of-the-art tools and technology to meet the needs of students and employers across Washington County and beyond. Fueled by a $500,000 matching grant from Washington County, the campaign has garnered strong community support. To date Moraine Park has secured $1.54 million in pledges from local partners.
OSHKOSH COUNTRY CLUB FIFTH ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC
The clock is ticking for the shotgun start of the Oshkosh Country Club’s 5th Annual Golf Classic set for June 13th. It will be hosted by Oshkosh native T.J. Rodgers and features Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman Elgton Jenkins, who again this year will bring a group of Packer rookies. Funds raised support two charitable endeavors: Jenkins hometown Clarksdale High School Athletics and the Tiny House Village founded by T.J. Rodgers and the Oshkosh Kids Foundation. In the last two years 100 to 150 children and adults have resided in the village before returning to the community. These families, many of them single women with children, are among scores of people lacking stability and security who received a new chance of living with dignity-under a roof. A shotgun start for golf begins at noon, followed by 4:30 pm cocktails, dinner, and awards. A range of sponsorships are available, including $1,000 for a foursome golf-and-dinner package. There is a $2,500 Green-level sponsorship and $5,000 for a Gold-level sponsorship. More information is available about the sponsorships online.
OCC Classic & Outings – Oshkosh Country Club
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