Hometown Broadcasting News Friday 1/31/20
31 January 2020 News
Ixonia Woman Sentenced For Aiding Murderer
The 21-year-old Ixonia woman suspected of helping cover-up a Dodge County murder has been sentenced to 10 months in jail and 2 years of probation on a charge of harboring or aiding a felon. Dakota Schlesner was sentenced Thursday. She aided 21-year-old Nigel Schultz when he shot Bradlee Gerke of Beaver Dam to death in October of 2018. According to the criminal complaint Schlesner told authorities she helped hide the body. Earlier this month Schultz was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. District Attorney Kurt Klomberg says Schlesner helped them during Schultz’s trial, but she should have come forward at the time of the murder.
Mother And Son Charged For Allegedly Dealing Drugs
Charges were filed in Winnebago County court yesterday against a 56-year-old woman and her 20-year-old son for allegedly dealing drugs out of a home. Fox Crossing Police searched Leslie Howard’s home earlier this week. She allegedly sold crack cocaine to undercover police resulting in a search warrant being issued for her home. She is facing cocaine trafficking charges and her son Tylor Johnson cocaine trafficking, cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession charges. Her bond was set at $1,000 cash and his at $2,500 cash. Both are back in court next Thursday for preliminary hearings.
Haas Brewery Stable Roof Will Be Fixed While The Structure’s Fate Is Decided
The Ripon Common Council continued discussions about the Haas Brewery Stable this week not reaching any conclusions. It crosses the Silver Creek and used to be part of the brewery property that the City took over ownership of in 2006. The Historic Preservation Commission had inquired about state or federal designation as a historical property, but that didn’t pan out. No one who had served on that commission at the time serves on the Council anymore. Alderperson John Splitt who serves on the council and commission said the commission had it mothballed, meaning the windows were boarded up and it was made watertight. But he says a section of the roof is off now. Public Works Director Mike Ehrenberg said he would look at getting that fixed while the council decides what to do with the stable. The stable looks like an old red barn and it is the only remaining structure that used to be part of the brewery.
Barlow Park Charter School
Officials with the Ripon Area School District are proud of the opportunity the new Barlow Park Charter School will offer to parents for their children. The charter school for kindergarten through second graders will have a competency and play-based education. District Superintendent Mary Whitrock says educators are finding out just how important social/emotional learning is. “Probably one of the greatest needs of our students is to really focus on social/emotional learning and learn more about that social interaction to be able to play with their peers and able to accomplish a lot of their learning through that modality.” Whitrock says they’ve been working on putting together the charter school for the last three years. Sadie Parafiniuk is a member of the Barlow Park Charter School Governance Council. She says they have dedicated teachers who have become experts that will be teaching in the charter school when it opens in the fall. Whitrock says they’ve removed the cap for enrollment. The open enrollment period for schools begins on Monday.
More Tips On Avoiding Tax Identity Theft
The Administrator for the state’s Division of Trade and Consumer Protection cautions residents to be leery of “holiday” or short-term loan opportunities. Lara Sutherlin says that may be an effort to get personal information from you that someone can use to file an income tax return using your identity. For those who use a tax preparer she recommends knowing who you’re having handle that responsibility before you have them do the work for you. “We also encourage folks to do a lot of research for tax preparers and thoroughly before you hand over any personal information to a tax preparer.” She also says you should never sign an authorization permitting a company to file your taxes if you do not want them to. This week is Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week.
Call 9-1-1
Ripon Area Fire District Chief Tim Saul again reminds residents to call 9-1-1 if it is an emergency and you need the fire department. This week he got a call about a house fire, which in this case probably saved the structure. But Saul says they still need to go through proper dispatching for calls to get a quick response. He says that’s delayed if you call him directly on his cell phone .“The thing I would encourage people to do is not call the fire chief’s cell phone because you know me, is to call 9-1-1 because that causes a delay when you call my cell phone in not calling 9-1-1 directly.” If you need the fire department and it is not an emergency call the Ripon Police Department Dispatch at (920) 748-2888.
Reassessment Underway In Ripon
The City of Ripon is doing a revaluation of property this year for the assessment roll. As such there will be periodic inspection of properties until the assessment roll is completed. The city is required to keep properties in compliance of full value at least once is every 5-year period. Recently on its website the city also introduced Jake Baumbach of Associated Appraisal Consultants. The firm has been hired by the city to do the reappraisal of taxable properties. He will be driving a 2018 Dodge Caravan with license plate number 906-YGF.
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