Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 6/25/20
25 June 2020 News
Ripon Common Council Approves Liquor License Refund
The Ripon Common Council this week approved refunds for the 16 bars, restaurants and businesses with liquor licenses. Council members wanted to provide some financial relief to those businesses that had to close or were limited due to COVID-19 and the resulting Safer at Home orders. Those businesses had already paid their license fees for the year beginning July 1st. Council members considered 60, 90, and 120 day refunds. Alderman David Gallops had proposed the 90 day or 25 percent refund and other council members agreed. The refunds will amount to a total of $1,775.41.
Ripon School District Referendum Survey
The Ripon Area School District is inviting residents to take a survey about continuing their operational referendum. Friday is the last day people can take the survey. District Superintendent Mary Whitrock says for the past 12 years they’ve used referendum approved funds each year for $500,000 to pay for technology, maintenance, and curriculum that they don’t receive funding for. She says if it continues it would be property tax neutral because has been part of the tax base. The School Board will use results of the survey to fashion a referendum question for the November ballot. “The Board will get those survey results on July 6th at their work session and we will get to the public so that everyone knows the results of that survey and that will guide that question development.” She says the board has to approve the exact language for the question by their August Board meeting so it can be processed and printed on the ballot for November.
Columbia County Drug Investigation Results In Two Arrests
A Columbia County Drug Task Force investigation has resulted in a number of drug-related charges being brought against two Portage residents. Sheriff Roger Brandner says a suspect in their investigation was seen getting into a taxi cab Monday and a traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle. A police K-9 was used during a search which turned up 48 grams of methamphetamine and about 3 grams each of heroin and marijuana, and a variety of prescription pills. As a result the passengers in the cab, 29-year-old Andrew Kripps (pictured above) and 31-year-old Justine Rogers (below) are facing charges. Both are being held in the Columbia County Jail pending a court appearance.
COVID 19 Social Distancing Impact
A member of the Ripon Community COVID 19 Task Force says respiratory mist is still the major way the virus is being transmitted from person to person. Jeff Puhlmann Becker says a friend of his is a doctor that works with COVID-19 patients. She tells him that people are less likely to contract it from a surface contact such as a door knob or counter top. “You could get it off a surface, but you would pretty much have to have somebody sneeze or get the virus on the surface put your hands on the surface and then pick your nose because you need to get it in your eyes, nose or mouth somehow. That’s by far the largest transmission rate if there is another one I don’t know.” Puhlmann-Becker also feels that social distancing may be something we practice long after COVID-19 is no longer the threat that it is today.
Ripon College Will Mix In Person And Virtual Learning
Ripon College President Zach Messitte says they will mix in-person and virtual learning when students returns for classes in August. “So we will have some part of our courses our curriculum will be online a percentage of it. The larger percentage will still be in person, but a certain part of it will be online.” He says they invested in a new management learning system called “Canvas,” which the faculty has been training on this summer and it will be debuted this fall at the college. Messitte notes unlike Zoom the system is designed for education and teaching. Virtual learning has become a teaching and learning tool during the current pandemic.
Candidates Forum In Ripon Tonight
The League of Women Voters of the Ripon Area and Five Counties for Tobacco Free Living are sponsoring a candidates’ forum tonight featuring candidates running for the 41st State Assembly seat. The forum will be broadcast live on the City of Ripon’s public access channel, “The Ripon Channel,” Spectrum Channel 986 from 7 to 8 pm. It will also be posted on The Ripon Channel’s YouTube page. Candidates that have agreed to participate include Gary Will and Luke Dretske. There are five candidates running for the seat.
Assembly Candidate Schedules Meet And Greets
State Assembly candidate Alex Dallman will be holding a district-wide meet and greet tour throughout the coming weeks. Dallman is one of four Republican candidates vying for the 41st State Assembly seat. He says the meetings will provide an opportunity to sit down, have a coffee or food, and learn about his candidacy. The first meet and greet will be at Muggs Coffeehouse in Ripon from 8 to 10 am next Wednesday and the second next Thursday from 8 to 10 am at the Little Corporal Restaurant in Green Lake. Six other meet and greets are scheduled through July 20th.
- July 1, 2020: 8:00-10:00am, Mugs Coffeehouse, 307 Watson St, Ripon, WI 54971
- July 2, 2020: 8:00-10:00am, The Little Corporal Restaurant, 499 Hill Street, Green Lake, WI 54941
- July 8, 2020: 9:00-10:00am, Berlin Family Restaurant, 186 Broadway St, Berlin, WI 54923
- July 9, 2020: 8:00-10:00am, Aunt Judy’s Cafe, 816 State Road 23 73, Princeton, Wisconsin 54968
- July 10, 2020: 10:00am-12:00pm, Oyster Crackers, 29 W Montello St, Montello, WI 53949
- July 13, 2020: 8:00-10:00am, Pioneer Family Restaurant, 244 N Pioneer Park Rd, Westfield, WI 53964
- July 15, 2020: 10:00am-12:00pm, The Keg & Patio, 732 Oak St, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin 53965
- July 20, 2020: 11:00am-1:00pm, Cedar Shack, 2248 State Hwy 13, Adams, WI 53910
Feyen Endorsement
Incumbent State Senator Dan Feyen has picked up another endorsement in his bid for reelection. Winnebago County Board Supervisor Vicki Shorse serves on three different committees for the board. Shorse says reelecting Feyen will maintain a balance of decision power in Madison. Feyen, a Republican from Fond du Lac, says he’s proud to earn her endorsement. He represents the 18th State Senate District.
Share |