Hometown Broadcasting News Monday 5/4/20
4 May 2020 News
Racine Man Sentenced For FDL Home Invasion
A Fond du Lac County judge recently sentenced a 27-year-old Racine man to five years in prison and six years of extended supervision on armed robbery, cocaine trafficking, and felon in possession of a firearm charges. Charges stemmed from a home invasion in Fond du Lac in March of 2018. Bobby Williams was involved in the robbery. Police recovered significant amounts of cocaine, marijuana, cash and two firearms during their investigation. Judge Richard Nuss also ordered four years of probation for Williams.
Burn Ban Lifted
COVID-19 burn bans in the Towns of Ripon and Nepeuskun were lifted Friday. They were put in place to protect the health of the community and firefighters. The Ripon Area Fire District asks those doing controlled burns to call the Ripon Police Department Dispatch Center first at 920-748-2888 to avoid fines or charges. Call 911 if your fire begins to get out of control. The COVID-19 burn ban may be reinstated if the pandemic worsens. Burning in the City of Ripon is prohibited with the exception of recreational campfires.
EAA AirVenture Cancelled
EAA AirVenture 2020 is another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials announced Friday morning they were cancelling the 68th annual fly-in convention scheduled for July 20th-26th at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Jack Pelton says they looked at every possibility to move forward with the event, but with the state not reopening until May 26th they would be unable to start grounds preparation for AirVenture early this month. All pre-sold AirVenture 2020 admissions and camping reservations can be rolled over to the 2021 event or are eligible for refund. AirVenture 2021 is scheduled for July 26th through August 1st.
Congressman Grothman On EAA AirVenture Cancellation
AirVenture cancelled the 2020 fly-in convention and is hoping other summer events won’t follow suit. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says it takes months and in some cases years to plan some of the activities and attractions held at the annual AirVenture. It’s also a boon to the local economy when it is held in Oshkosh each summer. “Not only is it an enjoyable event, but it is so important economically for the whole area. Tens of millions of dollars are left in the state of Wisconsin from people not only from all around the country, but all around the world.” He says it’s understandable why EAA officials wouldn’t want to stage AirVenture, which brings in more than half a million visitors to the grounds during the week- long event if COVID-19 is still a threat.
Sense Of Community
Ripon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Mansmith says he’s not surprised to see the community rally around those who are in need and support businesses as we go through the COVID-19 pandemic. “You know if we are going to take anything away about this last few weeks it’s the sense of community, and the sense of caring, and the sense of love that people of this great city have for each other and to make sure that everybody is doing okay.” Mansmith points out businesses have been able to pivot and make changes to provide the services that their customers want. He is impressed by that. Mansmith was recently named to the Reopen Fond du Lac Task Force.
Vote For Ripon In The Main Street Contest
With Historic Downtown Ripon a quarterfinalist in the 2020 America’s Main Street contest Downtown Manager Craig Tebon is encouraging residents to continue voting for the city. The contest is held by the national small business movement Independent We Stand. Tebon says the contest brings the city some good exposure, but it would also be nice to win the Grand Prize of $25,000 which would be used for beautification efforts. “We’re hoping that this will be the year that we actually get a little bit farther, it would be great to crack the top ten and I’m not lying I really want to win this contest for Ripon but if we could get people participating in the voting process we have a really good chance.” The public is invited to vote for their favorite quarterfinalist online through May 24th. The top 10 semifinalists will be announced May 25th and the winner on June 2nd.
New Dates Announced For Walleye Weekend
Officials with Fond du Lac Festivals have announced the new dates for Walleye Weekend in Fond du Lac. Late last month they postponed the three-day festival due to concerns about the COVID-19 virus. New dates for the event are August 28th through the 30th. Organizers of the Mercury National Walleye Tournament support the decision, but the tournament is still on for June 13th and 14th depending on the circumstances. A decision on whether that should be adjusted will be made about mid-May.
Senator Feyen Cuts Office And Personnel Budgets
State Senator Dan Feyen of Fond du Lac says he will return at least 5 percent of both his office and personnel budgets to the state’s general fund this session. This after the state’s Department of Administration asked agencies to cut 5 percent from their budgets. Feyen says, “Wisconsinites all over the State are tightening their budgets due to the global pandemic and their government should be no different.” Feyen estimates that with his office and personnel budget cuts they will be able to return nearly $36,000 to the state.
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