Hometown Broadcasting News Monday 6/1/20
1 June 2020 News
Ripon PD Teams With WisHope
Ripon Police Chief Bill Wallner says one of the toughest things their officers go through is trying to get help for someone with a drug or alcohol issue that wants to get help. They started looking into it after 7 overdoses in the city over a 4 week period. Normally the city sees 7 to 10 overdoses a year. They turned to the Fond du Lac County Opioid Initiative for help and people with the initiative told them about WisHope an organization that uses their resources to educate and support communities in Wisconsin being impacted by alcohol, drug and mental health issues. Wallner says the biggest problem they had with trying to get help was connecting with resources that could provide it in a timely manner. “And it’s tough when you’ve got somebody that is there asking for help that you’re dealing with and the response that you get even when the officers start calling around for them or trying to make contact is yeah we can see them in a month or we can see them in an in-patient treatment in two months or six months, that was tough.” Those who would like to know more about the program can call the Ripon Plice Department at (920) 748-2888 or WisHope at 1-844-WIS-HOPE or you can visit the WisHope website.
Business Reopening Tools Available
Envision Greater Fond du Lac President and CEO Sadie Parafiniuk reminds businesses they have a blue print for reopening if they still need guidance and tools. If you visit their website and click on the Reopen Fond du Lac banner it will take you to a page with those materials. She says that includes a printable poster that a business can post in their windows letting the public know about the safety measures they are taking against COVID-19. “In there are posters that businesses can place in their front window that says I have a COVID-19 plan with some bullet points of what you are following and you can customize that poster to tailor to what your business is doing. They are in English and in Spanish.” The page also has a pandemic operations plan, employee screening tool, and guidance from the Fond du Lac County Health Department on best practices.
Motorcycle Safety
Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Bill Tadych asks motorcycle operators to drive defensively. He says vehicle operators just don’t look for someone that might be driving a motorcycle and sometimes it’s too late when they do see them. He recommends keeping your head on a swivel if you’re riding a bike. He says although it’s a personal choice a helmet could protect you in case of a mishap. He notes an accident in the Eden area last month may have resulted in more minor injuries had the motorcycle operator been wearing a helmet. “The individual wasn’t wearing his helmet it was relatively low speed over in the Eden area, but he probably would have walked away with a couple of scratches had he had the proper gear on. It wasn’t life-threatening or anything.” Car and truck drivers can do their part by watching carefully for motorcycles before pulling out from a stop sign, turning left or changing lanes. Last year in Wisconsin, there were 1,799 motorcycle crashes in which 1,532 motorcyclists were injured and 81 were killed including one in Fond du Lac County.
Little White Schoolhouse Open For The Season
The Little White Schoolhouse in Ripon opened up last Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day. But things are a little different in this era of the pandemic. Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Mansmith says there will be social distancing, face masks, and whatever precautions are necessary to protect staff and the public from the COVID-19 virus. “Obviously we have hand sanitizer available for there. We do have masks there available for our docents and if somebody needs a mask we do have some disposable ones there too if they needed to, but playing it super safe. Social distancing is a little bit more difficult in a one-room schoolhouse, but we’re limiting the amount of people that are in there.” Mansmith says during an election year they usually see a little more traffic at the schoolhouse, but they will have to see how that goes. The Little White Schoolhouse is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm.
FDL Public Library Reopening With Restrictions
The Fond du Lac Public Library’s main branch on Sheboygan Street will reopen with restrictions on Wednesday. This month hours are 9 am to 6 pm Mondays through Fridays, and 9 am to 4 pm Saturdays. A limited number of patrons will be allowed in the building at one time. There will be no access to public computers. Social distancing will be required with face masks strongly recommended. Curbside pickup will continue on Portland Street.
Donation For Oshkosh School District Meals Program
Oshkosh Rotary Southwest, its members and their employers, have donated over $3,500 to the Oshkosh Area School District which will allow the district to continue to provide free meals to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will support the ongoing Free Grab-and-Go Meal Program and will allow the District to feed non-school-aged siblings and family members of District students during this time of At-Home Learning. Donated funds included a $750 donation from Oshkosh Rotary Southwest, $1,700 from Fox Valley Savings Bank, $1,000 from Mills Fleet Farm, and $200 from a Rotarian couple.
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