Hometown Broadcasting News Thursday 12/10/20
10 December 2020 News
Second Competency Hearing Scheduled For FDL Murder Suspect
A second competency exam has been scheduled next month for a 27-year-old Fond du Lac man suspected of intentionally hitting and killing a motorcyclist with his father’s pickup truck in July. Daniel Navarro is charged in the death of 55-year-old Phillip Thiessen of Fond du Lac who died at the scene of the crash on Winnebago Drive. According to the criminal complaint Navarro felt he was a victim of racism and was targeted because he was Mexican. Navarro in turn said he picked hitting a motorcycle because he believed the person driving the motorcycle was white and in Wisconsin white people drive motorcycles and the Harley climate is made up of white racists. The first competency hearing in October found Navarro incompetent to stand trial, but prosecutors were granted a second exam, which is scheduled in Fond du Lac County court January 6th. Thiessen was a former Marine and police officer.
Public Apology Given Over Heated Comments At Ripon Common Council Meeting
Ripon City Alderman Al Schraeder stepped behind the podium during the public comments section of the Ripon Common Council meeting this week to issue a public apology. Schraeder apologized for comments he made at the Council’s November 23rd meeting during a discussion about the future of the city’s dispatch center. While he apologized to Council members, city employees, and others present at the meeting he singled out Alderwoman Jolene Schatzinger. He was given a round of applause following the apology. The Council also approved a $2.9 million bond issue. With a drop in interest rates the city had a refunding opportunity for the 2012 General Obligation Bonds that could save the city up to $250,000 over the next 11 years or about $23,000 a year.
Thanksgiving COVID Spread
Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says if they are going to see a spike in COVID-19 cases due to Thanksgiving gatherings it would be occurring about now. She notes those spikes usually occur about 10 to 14 days after a spreader event. “Now is when we would start expecting to see spread if there has been spread from a gathering such as the holiday of Thanksgiving. We do have our contact tracers specifically asking questions to our positive cases of where you’ve been and specifically asking about Thanksgiving.” Mueller says if they do see a trend from a particular gathering it is something they would be sharing with the public.
COVID Vaccine Priority
With several COVID 19 vaccines on the cusp of approval from the Food and Drug Administration a member of the Ripon Community COVID-19 Task Force says the prioritization of health care workers and those at greater risk for the first phase of immunizations makes sense. Jeff Puhlmann-Becker says you need health care workers to take care of our sick and they can’t do that if they are out sick themselves. “If you think about it who is at most risk? It’s our health care workers and who do we stand to benefit from it they stay healthy the health care workers because when hospitals have 10, 15, 20 percent of their employees out either with quarantine or isolation there is less care for everybody else that is sick.” He says on the other hand 3 percent of the population is in long term care facilities, which also account for 40 percent of the COVID-19 deaths.
ThedaCare Adds Additional Mobile Unit For COVID Testing
ThedaCare has created an additional mobile testing unit to ensure access to COVID-19 testing in Northeast and Central Wisconsin. The additional testing unit adds to the services currently in place through the original mobile test unit which has been in use since October, and the testing site at ThedaCare Physicians-Neenah. To best manage community spread of COVID-19, testing and contact tracing are critical. Testing gives health systems insight to the breadth and depth of those infected in our communities and lead to a better understanding about the spread of the virus. Drive through testing is free and is available to all community members. More information about the testing locations and dates are available at the ThedaCare website.
Virtual Mental Health Night
The Ripon Area School District’s BRAVE program will be sponsoring a Virtual Mental Health Night tonight. Parents and community members are invited to attend the event online from 6 to 7 pm. It will be led by Lindsey Loewe, a licensed mental health and substance use disorders therapist with Collaborative Wellness. The event is sponsored by the Nita Lowery 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant BRAVE program. The global pandemic has impacted our wellbeing in a variety ways including our education system.
State Senate Standing Committee Assignments Handed Out
Two area state senators got their standing committee assignments this week for the next legislative session including chairing of some of those committees. State Senator-elect Joan Ballweg of Markesan will chair the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Tourism. Her other committee assignments include serving as vice-chair of the Human, Services, Children & Families Committee and as a member of the Natural Resources & Energy Committee. State Senator Dan Feyen of Fond du Lac will chair the Committee on Economic and Workforce Development. He will also chair the Housing, Commerce and Trade Committee, co-chair the Joint Survey Committee on Retirement Systems, and will serve as vice-chair of the Financial Institutions and Revenue Committee. He has also been named a member of three other Senate committees.
Winter Driving Safety Tips
Fond du Lac County Highway Commissioner Tom Janke says while it’s important to give snowplow operators room to do their jobs on snowy days you also have to consider other tips to keep yourself safe. He recommends keeping your distance from a snowplow if you’re behind it at the very least 80 feet, but he says when you’re driving toward one remember they have a wider vehicle and will be encroaching on the centerline. “These trucks and vehicles are pretty large vehicles and they take up a fair amount of space especially if you have a double-winged truck, which has a left wing and a right wing. It is not uncommon for them to encroach on the centerlines so when you’re coming toward a truck or the truck is coming toward you in the opposite lane give them a little distance.” Other tips he offers are to keep your attention on the road, give yourself more time to get to where you’re going and slow down. He also recommends cleaning your windshields and keep in mind that bridge decks can freeze up quickly.
Caroling Telegrams Offered In FDL Saturday
Fond du Lac Community Theatre will host holiday caroling telegrams Saturday from 12 to 8 pm. The caroling telegrams are a way to bring in the season and raise funds for the non-profit Theatre. Theatre Board President Tracy Qualmann says it’s an innovative and inspiring option for those who enjoy live performances. Those who purchase caroling telegrams will be entertained at their doorstep or virtually. The in-person yet socially distant option is $35 and the virtual link is $15. Those who wish to sign up for the caroling telegrams can do so by visiting the Fond du Lac Community Theatre website.
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